Metroid: Lambda Squad 2
by One Winged Angel666
Summary: Six months after the Doleous incident, Lambda Squad is given a new recruit, a tech-specialist named Eric, and a new mission, which involve fighting a seventh child of Mother Brain, just like them.
1. Chapter 1

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 1

_Note: Told through Richard's perspective_

The Doleous incident was still fresh off our minds for the past six months. Sure, we haven't lost each other, as none of us died. But, with Samus revealing herself as alive and disguised as the librarian, Massux Raxan, while the Samus we chased down and fought against was actually Mother Brain in Samus's power-suit, we didn't know what to do. We wanted Samus to help us whenever we were in danger during each of our missions, but every time we were, Samus wouldn't appear to save us. Instead, we had to rely on our own strengths and wits to get ourselves out of each difficult situation. After all, Samus said it herself: She's retired and needed a new generation of heroes to replace her, and my teammates and I are those heroes.

It also didn't help that even though Mother Brain had been imprisoned for the past six months ever since the Doleous incident, she still constantly plotted on controlling our minds, via her brain-cells she inserted inside our heads. Sure, we'd fight her off every time she'd do so, but when she'd return, her control on us would grow more powerful than last time. However, as we completed each mission and fought off Mother Brain's control on us, we had to wonder what Mother Brain was _truly_ planning for us, since every attempt to control us would usually end in failure, no matter how much more powerful she'd become when she'd return.

We were at our bunkers, sitting around on our beds as we talked. "So," Jenny said to us, "I wonder what that secret surprise Commander Sonia mentioned to us really is."

"It better be a new mission," said Joseph. "I want to fill my enemies' stomachs with lead, and sitting around here waiting for that 'secret surprise' is boring me to the same fate as our previous enemies!"

"You still haven't changed," Billy said to Joseph, "haven't you? I thought that ever since our previous missions, like the Doleous incident six months ago, you'd go give up your impatient ways."

"He's still the same arrogant battle-junkie he used to be," I said to Billy, "and he'll always be one, no matter how many missions he completes with us."

"Shut up," Joseph yelled at me.

"Well for me," said Alexis, "I hope it's the opposite of what Joseph wants. I just want to retire and become a normal teenager, yet every chance I receive is wasted because if I left, you'd be left without a medic."

"I thought you'd also change as well, Alexis," I said to her. "After all, when we fought Mother Brain in our minds to regain control from her, you toughened up and grew more independent."

"It was just that one time," Alexis replied. "Besides, isn't it strange? Stronger and more experienced in combat as we all are ever since our previous missions, our personalities haven't changed at all anyway."

"Yeah," Jenny said. "Billy is still critically honest, Mariana is still shy and silent, and Richard is still the same wise leader he's always been."

"That's because as your team-leader," I said, "I'm _supposed_ to act like one. Otherwise, I'd make too many screw-ups that could cost us any of our lives."

"Lambda Squad," ordered a familiar voice, "assemble now!"

We got out of our beds and lined-up, standing as straight and orderly as possible, facing Commander Sonia as she did likewise with us. Next to her was a young boy the same age as us, wearing the same military uniform as us, as we wondered who he was and why our commander brought him to us. "So," I said, "that boy is that 'secret surprise' you're talking about, right?"

"I don't know how you figured it out yourself, Captain Richard," replied Commander Sonia, "but yes, this young recruit is that secret surprise I've been talking about."

"Why did you keep him a secret," Alexis asked.

"Because," said Commander Sonia, "had I explained him to you, a small portion of that information would've leaked to the outside and be stolen by some random space pirate. His skills are invaluable to you, and another reason it was a secret was because an enemy would've captured him and used his skills against you." She then faced the boy and said, "Why don't you introduce yourself to your new team, Eric?"

"Yes, ma'am," said the boy. He would then face us and say, "My name is Eric, fifteen years of age, just like you. I heard stories about you and your acts of heroism, how you saved the galaxy from Metroid Supreme and its creator, Mother Brain. I'm a skilled mechanical, electrical, and cybernetic engineer, and I thought if I'd take my skills and further develop them at the Federation Military School, they might eventually assign me to you, so that I can step into your shoes and become a potential savior of the galaxy, like you guys."

"That's very noble of you," I said, "but I highly doubt if..."

"Don't bother objecting," Commander Sonia interrupted. "If you're asking if he's not going to be a liability, let me tell you that we've managed to alleviate all your worries."

"How so," asked Jenny.

"We did more than genetically-modify and torture-train Eric into your new squad-mate," replied Commander Sonia. "Because you each have Mother Brain's cells installed into your brains by her, you're capable of telepathic communication with each other, allowing you to share each other's thoughts and senses and thus act as a much stronger unit. So, our best military surgeons took some of the imprisoned Mother Brain's cells and inserted them inside Eric's brain, so that he and you can telepathically connect to each other's thoughts and senses, thus work with you as a team more efficiently."

"Again," said Alexis, "I appreciate what you did with Eric, inserting Mother Brain's cells inside his head. But, wouldn't that mean Mother Brain also has..."

"Didn't I say 'no objections,'" asked Commander Sonia as she interrupted Alexis.

"Sorry, ma'am," replied Alexis.

"During his time on the operation table and at military school," continued Commander Sonia, "we also torture-trained him to resist any of Mother Brain's telepathic control over him, similar to how you did likewise every time she'd return to control you six."

"She's not lying, you know," replied Eric. "Training to resist Mother Brain's control nearly killed me more often than you can imagine. Hell, I even killed a few guards and scientists whenever she succeeded. But, I never gave up, as long as I gained self-control whenever she'd attack my brain. Thanks to my military education, genetic modifications, and my fully-developed ability to resist Mother Brain, I promise you, I won't be a liability."

"Break that promise," Joseph said to Eric, "and I'll kick your ass so hard you'd be flying to the edge of the universe!"

"Joseph," the five of us and Commander Sonia yelled at him.

"What," asked Joseph. "I was just joking."

"Keep the jokes at a minimum," Commander Sonia replied. "No soldier should ever afford to play around while on the battlefield."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Joseph.

"Then I'll be leaving you to get to know your new comrade," Commander Sonia replied. "If you need me, I'll be at HQ, scouting any threats in the galaxy. Once I find any threats, you and your seventh teammate will arrive at the debriefing room, ASAP, to get your next assignment."

"Yes, ma'am," the six of us saluted Commander Sonia.

"As for you, Eric," Commander Sonia said to Eric, "promise you'll play nice with your new friends, and in turn they'll do likewise with you."

"Yes, ma'am," soluted Eric.

"Then I guess all of you are dismissed until further notice," said Commander Sonia, as she left our bunker, leaving Eric behind in the process.

Eric would then face the six of us and say excitedly, "This is _so_ cool! I can't believe I'm teaming up with Samus's replacements as saviors of the galaxy!"

"Don't get your hopes too high," replied Billy. "Just remember, balance your confidence levels, otherwise you're either the equivalent of Alexis - unable to handle combat-stress - or the equivalent of Joseph - arrogant to the point of mistakenly exposing your weaknesses to the enemy."

"Billy," Joseph and Alexis called out to Billy.

"Sorry," Billy replied. "Just wanted to be honest with Eric."

"So," I said to Eric, "you said you're an engineer?"

"Yes," Eric replied, as he took out a small hacking-tool out of his pocket. "I can still wield a pistol to defend myself, like Alexis, but I also have a wireless hacking-tool that lets me hack into any computer system I see. I'm also good at repairing anything that's mechanical, and can even drive vehicles like tanks and ships despite my age, provided that I hack into its systems, that is."

"I have a small laptop that's connected to the Internet," said Jenny. "I know I shouldn't let others hack into my computer out of fear that they'd use my private information to get what they want, but just this once, I'd like to see how you're capable."

"Then by all means," replied Eric, "get your laptop. I promise you, I won't gather any private information from you and give it away to others."

"Okay," Jenny replied, as she took out her laptop underneath her bed and showed it to Eric. "You see the screen," Jenny asked Eric. "I don't usually allow my teammates to log-on to my account, or share my password with them, out of fear that they might read my journal, e-mails, or anything else that's private. I won't tell you the password, but I want to see if you can log-on to my account without the need for my password."

"Okay," replied Eric. He would then use his hacking-tool in front of the laptop's screen, pressing several buttons on it, as we heard the log-on music coming out of Jenny's laptop.

Jenny would face the screen to herself, and was shocked to see something. "What is it," I asked.

"Look," Jenny said, as she showed the screen to us. We were surprised to see that Eric managed to log-on to her account with just his hacking-tool instead of Jenny's password!

"You see," asked Eric. "I'm an engineer, and every military squad has to have _some_ sort of engineer."

"Then we welcome you to your new extended family," I said to Eric.

"Just promise us you won't hack into our laptops to dig-up anything we keep private," said Jenny.

"Hey," said Eric, "you're my new teammates. It's not like I'm some spy working for a group of space-pirates, let alone your average peeping-tom who'd want to see you in your birthday suits."

"You better," Joseph said. "We're experienced combat-vets and you're just a recruit who recently graduated military school. Peep at our secrets, and we'll peep at yours!"

"Do you have to be so literal," Alexis asked Joseph.

"What," Joseph replied. "Just wanted to be honest with him."

"That's okay," said Eric. "I've been torture-trained and disciplined to handle threats from others maturely, regardless of whose side they're on."

It was at that point, we would have a new teammate, and a new friend to socialize with any time we're not going on a mission or training for any future missions.

As we sat in a circle on the floor, introducing more of ourselves to Eric, Jenny asked him, "So, what was your life like before you joined the Federation military?"

"Horrible," replied Eric.

"Funny," I said. "I thought you'd join the military because you were inspired by us."

"I still am," replied Eric. "It's just that you taught me a valuable lesson: If you have a skill-set, use it wisely rather than abusively."

"Abusively," asked Alexis.

"When I learned how to use a computer at age eight," said Eric, "I also learned _so_ much of how a computer works, that I thought I'd use that knowledge for my own selfish desires. Have any of you once read the papers about the mysterious 'Man-Hacker?'"

"Not really," I said. "We were so busy fighting space pirates and protecting the galaxy after Samus's alleged 'death,' that we didn't have any time to gather news on the rest of the galaxy."

"Well," said Eric, "it was me. I used to hack into other people's computers all the time, using their own accounts to use their money as my own and expose their disturbing secrets for the galaxy to see. Nobody would learn my secret identity, and would give me the name, 'Man-Hacker,' because they thought I'd be some twenty-year-old college student with too much time to spare. But then the police tracked me down and caught me, and were even surprised that I was actually ten-years-old, not twenty-one. I was tried in court and was sentenced to two years at a juvenile detention ship for identity-theft and robbery."

"You were a criminal once," Alexis asked Eric.

"Unfortunately," Eric replied, "yes. When I was released from juvenile detention after serving my two-year sentence and returned to my house, I didn't know what to do with my life anymore now that I knew that hacking into others' computer-accounts was wrong. I didn't hack into anyone's computers anymore out of fear of going back to juvenile detention, and I spent my normal, teenaged life, studying at school and doing work at home, but still confused with my life. That was until, when I hit thirteen, that I saw the six of you on the news, saving people, fighting space-pirates, doing everything that that bounty-hunter who saved your lives, Samus Aran, used to do before she disappeared."

"Well, it's true," I said. "We wouldn't graduate military school until age thirteen, eight years after Samus saved us from Mother Brain and the Federation adopted and raised us into their new super-soldiers to replace Samus as protectors of the galaxy."

"Yeah," said Jenny. "And, when we graduated at age thirteen, we became Lambda Squad and completed our first mission together. Sure, we didn't get along at first, as is common with most other military squads, but for every mission we complete, we get to know and care for each other better, and thus work more efficiently as a team."

"Yeah," said Eric, "your teamwork was part of the reason why I joined military school. But, the _real_ reason I'm with you guys was because you gave me a purpose for my hacking skills, a chance to atone for my childhood crimes."

"And," said Joseph, "that's when you learned about that whole 'use your skills wisely than abusively' thing, right?"

"I did research on my computer," continued Eric, "and found out that the military is recruiting not only soldiers with the same skills with a gun as you, but also a variety of people with different skills, other than just with guns alone, in general, hackers and engineers included! My parents were against me going to the military just because of seeing your deeds of heroism on the news, but I left them anyway. It was a hard choice, but I hope that my parents can understand that. After all, I did something bad with my skills and wanted to atone for my crimes by using those same skills for good, and you guys were the reason why I chose to use my hacking skills to atone for abusing them! And to think, that I'd actually _join_ you!"

"We understand that it's noble of you," said Billy, "but don't get overconfident."

"I know that," said Eric. "From all that military training, genetic surgeries, and fighting-off Mother Brain's telepathic control over me, I learned that being a hero like you guys is a big responsibility, one that can kill me if I'm not careful. I understand the risks, and even if I die, at least I know that I did so to protect you and the galaxy, and that I won't have any regrets."

"Then don't let your training and surgeries go to waste," Billy said, "if you know the risks and responsibilities."

"Okay," replied Eric. "But, I want to know more about you. You know, when Samus saved your lives, then you met her again on Planet Doleous?"

"What about it," I asked.

"What was meeting Samus Aran, the famous bounty-hunter and savior of the galaxy, like," Eric asked.

"The fake Samus Mother Brain disguised herself as," I asked, "or the real Samus that disguised herself as the librarian, Massux Raxan?"

"The latter," replied Eric.

"Well..." I said, as the six of us related our first and second meetings with Samus, and the adventures she used to go on before she first met us, to Eric.


	2. Chapter 2

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 2

The next day, the seven of us, including our new teammate Eric, were summoned to the conference room to meet with Commander Sonia. She wasn't there, so we sat on our respective seats at the table, chatting while waiting for her to arrive.

"I can't believe I'm going to go on a mission with you guys," Eric said excitingly.

"Don't you realize that you're contradicting yourself," Billy asked Eric. "You understand that you can't be overconfident, yet here you are acting so."

"Right," Eric replied, "sorry."

"About time we'd be given a new mission," Joseph said to us. "I was getting sick and tired of doing nothing but hang-around at our bunker, chatting about our personal stuff, when I'm supposed to gain some _actual_ fun from slaughtering the bad guys!"

"Say, Richard," Eric said to me, "is Joseph _always_ like this, wanting to fight for the fun and entertainment of it, as opposed to treat it as a job rather than a game?"

"Don't mind him," I said to Eric. "Each of us has our own quirks. Joseph craves combat. Alexis is a pacifist. Jenny and I are the responsible types because I'm the leader and she's my second-in-command. Billy is the calm, collected, brutally-honest type. And, Mariana doesn't speak often because she's the shy-type."

"Then I guess that makes me the computer-nerd," said Eric, "huh?"

"I wouldn't say that," I said to Eric. "Besides, you're not a nerd. You just happen to be good with computers and machines."

"Still sounds like a nerd to me," replied Eric.

"Again," I said, "don't say crap like that about yourself. And, you'll do fine in our upcoming assignment."

"Thank you for arriving to the conference room on time, Lambda Squad," said a voice behind us. We would then turn our heads around and see Commander Sonia, walking to the opposite side of the table to face us.

"So," Jenny said, "what's our next assignment?"

"Remember six months ago," Commander Sonia said to us, "when you destroyed a cloned metroid cell that mutated into a giant monster?"

"What about it," I asked.

"I'm afraid your next mission is going to involve more cloned metroids," continued Commander Sonia.

"That's impossible," replied Eric. "The metroids are extinct thanks to Samus, and so is that cloned metroid cell that became Metroid Supreme!"

"The rookie's right," said Joseph. "How's that possible?"

"Your savior from ten years ago," Commander Sonia, "Samus Aran, the former bounty-hunter who wanted you to replace her as the new generation of heroes, was captured. Her captive is using the remaining metroid DNA that cured her of the X Parasite, to clone an army of metroids."

"Who would do such a thing," asked Alexis.

"This is where things get complicated," replied Commander Sonia. She would then press several buttons on the table's controls to activate a holographic profile of a familiar person, one we knew from our past.

"That's her," said Billy, "isn't it?"

"That's the seventh child of Mother Brain," Eric said to us, "isn't she? When I was five, I used to watch the news about how Mother Brain kidnapped and altered not only you guys, but also that girl... what was her name again?"

"Katrina," Billy replied.

"Right," said Eric, "her."

"As you are all aware of," Commander Sonia continued to us, "she was the seventh child to be abducted and altered by Mother Brain besides you six, until Samus saved her along with you."

"Just as the six of us were given different combat-skills," I said to Commander Sonia, "Katrina was genetically altered by Mother Brain to become a psychic."

"She had everything one would come to expect from a psychic," said Jenny, "such as telekinesis, telepathy, communication with the dead, and the power to predict the future."

"Like the rest of us," Alexis continued, "Katrina would also fight against Samus, only to be rescued by her at the cost of her life, and she would also be adopted and raised by the Federation military as one of its new soldiers along with us."

"Like six-out-of-seven of you," continued Commander Sonia, "she would be given advanced Federation military training and surgical genetic enhancements to improve her psychokinetic powers. However, unlike the six of you, she lacked the ability to handle the stress of our austere military training and genetic surgeries, and would often lose control of her powers, killing several of our top men in the process. So, we had her discharged and converted back to civilian life, where despite her psychic powers, she would live under normal circumstances with her adoptive parents."

"I envy her," replied Alexis. "She gets to live a normal life, while the six of us are stuck as war-machines."

"There's no time for personal feelings, Alexis," Commander Sonia said to her.

"Sorry, ma'am," replied Alexis.

"As I was saying," continued Commander Sonia, "when she would hit fourteen years of age, however, she would commit one of the most horrific acts throughout galactic-history."

"The Planet Rendalion VI High-School Massacre," Jenny responded.

"The rules and teachers were too strict even for her," continued Commander Sonia. "She couldn't handle the pressure of her given schoolwork and homework, and often she was bullied by other students and treated differently. So, under too much stress, she lost control of her psychokinetic powers and thus killed around fifty-three students and teachers. The Federation military would attempt to stop her, but while most school mass-murderers would commit suicide to escape the authorities, Katrina would use her powers to escape them, flying off of Planet Rendalion VI and into outer-space, where she would disappear and not be heard of since. Not even the Federation military could ever find her."

"Which doesn't explain the connection between Katrina and the metroid clones," I responded.

"We've received intel," continued Commander Sonia, "that Katrina has returned from hiding, using her immense psychic powers to capture and deliver Samus to a Federation cloning facility, built to research and develop genetic-cloning, where she slaughtered all the scientists and security personel to keep them from getting in her way. She's using that same facility to clone a metroid army with Samus's DNA, and we believe that with that army she'll eventually conquer the galaxy."

"Why would she do that," asked Jenny.

"Mother Brain," Mariana quietly said to us. As we faced her, Mariana would continue, "The Federation had no idea about her cells living inside ours and Katrina's head at that time, before the Doleous incident, so they forgot to remove them from her brain."

"You don't think Mother Brain is controlling Katrina," I asked Mariana, "right?"

"To be honest," Mariana continued, "I do."

Commander Sonia would then summon a hologram of the cloning facility, which was a large space-station, as she continued, "We have the coordinates leading to the facility, but your mission is to infiltrate it, find Katrina, and stop her before she unleashes her army of metroid clones on the galaxy. Rescuing Samus Aran is your secondary objective, but I trust that you'll complete your given mission by whatever means you deem fit."

"Don't worry," I replied, "we know what we're doing."

Commander Sonia would make the hologram disappear, as she then said, "Then do you have any questions before you go?"

"No, ma'am," replied the seven of us.

"Then move out," ordered Commander Sonia, as the seven of us left the room.

We would ride on a large transport shuttle through space, sitting on our seats as we waited to arrive at our destination. We were well-equipped with the same chozo-built weapons we used against Mother Brain and Metroid Supreme, but all Eric had was a regular military pistol and his hacking-tool, none of them chozo-built like our weapons because he didn't go to Knolia IV like the rest of us.

"So," Eric said to us, "what was Katrina like?"

"Why do you ask," I asked Eric.

"You've been around her for a very long time," continued Eric, "unlike me, who stole people's computer-accounts instead of serve under Mother Brain like you guys. I just want to know what she's like."

"Right," I said, "Katrina. Well..."

"She was a nice, friendly, kind-hearted girl," Jenny interrupted me, "much like Alexis. However, also like Alexis, she couldn't handle the stress of combat-training. All she wanted were friends, and the best she had was us. But, no matter how much we comforted her, whether it was when we were Mother Brain's prisoners or the Federation's military-recruits, she still felt alone."

"I heard that when you're given psychokinesis," Eric said to us, "you often lose control of those powers, unless you're torture-trained to actually control them. Sort of like me during childhood, when I lost control of my hacking skills and abused them for my own evil gains."

"That's true," Alexis continued. "Whenever she'd become too stressed, she'd often lose control of her psychokinetic powers. She used to kill several other military-recruits, as well as her drill-instructors, the guards, and a variety of other military-personnel, because of that inability. She even nearly killed us!"

"Because they connected her uncontrollable powers with her stress-problems," Billy continued, "she was given a discharge from military school, and was adopted and raised by a couple from a small colony-planet, where she'd live her normal, civilian life."

"You don't have to tell me that part," Eric said. "I know what happens next, like the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre, with your friend as the perpetrator. I don't really know whether to feel sorry for her or her fifty-three victims in that high-school she used to go to."

"Don't feel sorry for that woman," Joseph said to Eric.

"You're kidding," Eric said to Joseph, "right?"

"She's a mass-murderer," Joseph continued, "and as one she can't be forgiven. Once we encounter her, we tear her apart like we did our previous enemies! I just hope she presents a strong challenge even for me, though, since I'm getting tired of facing-off against cannon-fodder space-pirates!"

"She's also your friend," Eric replied to Joseph. "She was a victim of Mother Brain, like you, and had to be rescued by Samus! How could you say such a thing?"

"Joseph's right," Billy responded to Eric. "She committed the crime of mass-murder, and she's going to clone an army of metroids using Samus's metroid-DNA, which cured her of the X Parasite. If we don't stop her at any cost, she'll do to other people what she did to those fifty-three victims at her former high-school."

"Then think about it," Eric said to us. "You guys used to help me atone for my crimes of computer-hacking and identity-theft, right? Surely, you can help Katrina atone for the Planet Rendalion VI High-School Massacre as well! After all, I can relate to Katrina! She and I used to be criminals, using our respective skills for the wrong purposes! Hell, you guys and Katrina were redeemed yourselves, one moment Mother Brain's servants, the next moment free from her control thanks to Samus's sacrifice! If you can atone for working for Mother Brain, and I can atone for hacking and identity-theft, why not Katrina for the Planet Rendalion VI High-School Massacre?"

"Because," I said, "not everyone can be redeemed, just like you and the six of us. That's one of the lessons taught to us at military school, and surely you'd learn that lesson yourself."

"I remember learning about this," Eric replied. "I just disagree with what they said about killing the people that can't be redeemed, no matter what." Eric would then face Alexis and say, "Alexis, you're the pacifist of the group! Surely you agree more with me than that stupid lesson!"

"Don't bother listening to the rookie," Joseph said to Alexis. "Katrina wants to make people end up like her fifty-three victims, we make her join those said fifty-three victims in return!"

"Actually," Alexis responded, "I agree with Eric."

"You're joking," Joseph responded, "right?"

"We were once Mother Brain's tools," Alexis continued, "forced against our will to fight Samus. She saved our lives at the cost of hers, and we redeemed ourselves by joining the Federation military. Meanwhile, Eric hacked into other people's computers during childhood, stealing their money and private information, until he was arrested and sent to a juvenile detention ship. One year after serving his two-year sentence, when he first learned about our accomplishments through the news, he, like the six of us, also developed a desire to atone. If we can atone, then surely Katrina will, too."

"Thanks for agreeing with me," Eric said to Alexis.

"At least you're outnumbered, two-to-five," Joseph said to Eric and Alexis.

"Don't you mean three-to-four," Mariana asked Joseph.

"What the nine circles of Hell," Joseph asked shockingly.

"Yeah," Jenny said, "and that includes a fourth person that thinks Katrina can atone: Me!"

"Jenny," I said to her, "I thought you'd agree with Billy, Joseph, and I, not side with the others!"

"Each of us used to make terrible mistakes," Jenny said to me, "until we managed to fix them! Once we encounter Katrina, we do our best to convince her to fix her mistakes of the past!"

"We can still kill her," Joseph said to Jenny, "right? You know, just in case we fail to persuade her to atone like us?"

"There's only three of you, Richard, and Billy," replied Jenny, "and only four of the rest of us. You're outvoted."

"Ungh," Joseph grunted.

"Listen," I said to my team, "we can decide what to do with Katrina as soon as we encounter her. For now, we just wait until we arrive at the cloning-facility, find her, and see for ourselves if we can either convince her to atone, or kill her in battle."

"I thought you wanted to kill her," Joseph said to me. "Why go neutral?"

"Because," I said, "our debate over Katrina's fate will only go on forever. As commanding-officer of Lambda Squad, I order you and the others to save the debate until we encounter Katrina in-person."

"Whatever," replied Joseph.

Our transport shuttle would then arrive at the cloning-station floating in space, as it landed in the transport-station. As the door in front of us opened, we took out our guns, got up off our seats, and walked out of it. After leaving the shuttle, it would fly away from the transport station, leaving the seven of us behind until we'd complete our mission.

"So," I said to Eric, "ready for your first assignment with us?"

"I've been torture-trained and genetically-altered for this," Eric replied. "Any enemies I find, I shoot with my pistol. Otherwise, if it's a machine, I hack it with my hacking-tool."

"Which doesn't explain how we'll find Katrina," said Alexis. "We're new to this place, and we'll be wasting too much time finding a map of the station! How are we going to find her before she unleashes her metroid clone army on the galaxy?"

"The seven of us and Katrina were given Mother Brain's cells," Eric said to us, "right?"

"Right," Jenny replied, "I forgot. They gave you Mother Brain's cells after the Doleous incident so that they can connect your thoughts and senses to us, unlike us who got them earlier than you."

"Oh," Joseph said to Eric, "and does the rookie have a plan, even though he's too much of one to _actually_ come up with one?"

"What if we tried connecting our Mother Brain cells to Katrina's," Eric asked us. "If we can connect to her, we can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything she likewise does, allowing us to find her more easily."

"Now that's a brilliant idea," I said. "I'm the leader of the team, yet here you are outshining even me with a plan such as this! And yet, you're a rookie! No offense, though."

"How can you trust a rookie," Joseph asked me. "Look at him! He's new to military combat, and we've been on the front-lines since we graduated military school at age thirteen!"

I then said to the rest of my team, "All in favor of Eric's plan?" With the exception of Joseph, the six of us raised our hands. "All against," I continued, as we put our hands down while Joseph raised his up. I then said to Joseph, "Majority rule."

"Hmph," grunted Joseph, putting his hand down, "fine. But, if we die or fail, it's on our resident engineer."

"Fair enough," replied Eric.

"Then I guess we have no other choice," I said to my team, as they nodded yes to me.

We would then close our eyes and concentrate our minds on finding and connecting to Katrina's Mother Brain cells. The next thing we knew, we were looking through the eyes of Katrina herself, as she was in a dark room, surrounded by large pods containing hibernating metroid clones. She was looking at a large pod containing none other than the captive Samus Aran herself, dressed in her normal civilian clothes, sleeping like the metroid clones surrounding her and Katrina.

"Rest still, hero of the galaxy," Katrina said to Samus in a soft, soothing voice. "Very soon my mother will give me anything I want in exchange for servitude. And then, I won't have to worry about those accursed Federation dogs treating me like a disposable object again."

'Her' mother? As in Mother Brain? And why would she think of the Federation as the bad guys, when the _real_ villain's just a rogue super-AI that used to enslave her and the six of us ten years ago?

"I know you're watching me, Lambda Squad," Katrina would say.

"You compromised us," I asked.

"You're using our mother's cells to connect to mine," replied Katrina. "You're spying on me, trying to figure out where I am and what I'm doing. And, it appears you have Eric, otherwise known as the 'Man-Hacker,' who committed identity-theft at ages 8 through 10 until his arrest. The Federation military gave him our mother's brain cells, and thus connected him to the rest of us."

"How did you know," Eric asked. "Did you read the newspapers or something?"

"Not through the news," Katrina responded, "but through our mother's cells within us. I know everything about you through our connection to our mother. You would betray her again like on Planet Doleous, and take me away from her and my chance at freedom from the Federation."

"If you're referring to Mother Brain as your mom," replied Jenny, "then take notice that _she's _not your mom, let alone ours! Don't you remember?"

"Like us," Billy continued, "you were once Mother Brain's tool, and had you and the rest of us succeeded in eliminating Samus, she would've disposed of us."

"Bad guys often get rid of their minions," Joseph said to Katrina, "right after their usefulness ends, out of fear that any of their own could betray and kill them! We were just disposable tools to Mother Brain. She didn't care about us!"

"Not like Samus and the Federation," continued Alexis. "Even if they never gotten along in the past, even if Samus quit the military because she disagreed with how they handled certain situations, at least _neither_ of them were anything like Mother Brain!"

"You have to understand," I said. "Even if our military school's training regimes and genetic surgeries were too stressful even for us, they were doing this to protect the galaxy, not because they hated us!"

"You're wrong," Katrina argued back. "I'm nothing like you! I can't handle stressful situations like you, whether in military school or regular civilian school! I'm afraid of combat, of strict rules, authority-figures, and mundane work, even just about any consequence I'd receive for any mistake I'd make! This was why I used my powers to kill those fifty-three people back at Rendalion VI Junior High, and this is why I chose to rejoin our mother! She made me the most perfect life-form in the galaxy, and therefore I shouldn't be restricted by rules and regulations! Had you accepted our mother for who she is like I have, rather than reject her, the galaxy would've been yours to control! And yes, I'm talking to Eric - The Man-Hacker - as well!"

"As in my childhood," Eric responded, "when I stole people's computer-accounts and used them as my own, huh?"

"You have our mother's cells, as well," Katrina said to Eric. "With our mother as your mother, you would've become the galaxy's most feared and powerful hacker, just like during your childhood, and would've gained just as much power as our mother and I! But, you and the rest of our siblings - whom you call your 'teammates' - would betray our mother again, just like ten years ago and during the Planet Doleous incident! You would force me against my will to return to the days when I had to take orders from authority-figures and strict, gratuitous rules! You'd make me a mere human with no power at all, rather than the most powerful psychic in the galaxy our mother made me into! For that, I must unleash the various cloned alien monsters within the facility and have them hunt you down and kill you!"

We would then disconnect from Katrina's Mother Brain cells and return back to where we were, at the transport station. As we faced each other, Jenny asked, "Order, Captain Richard?"

"There's no time to think of a plan," I said to my team. "Even though she compromised us, we compromised her in return! We can still find her at the cloning-room containing Samus and all those metroids, as long as we stick together and shoot anything that wants us dead!"

"Right," my teammates responded in unison. We would then head down the hallowed halls of the cloning station, fighting off any alien clones and searching for Katrina and Samus along the way, while Eric would use his hacking-tool to unlock doors and disarm traps and security systems for us.


	3. Chapter 3

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 3

After running through the whole station, searching for Katrina via our Mother Brain cells, while shooting with our guns any alien clones that wanted us dead, and hacking into doors, traps, and security systems with Eric and his hacking-tool, that got in our way, we would arrive in the same metroid-cloning room she was in. There were thousands of pods containing sleeping metroid clones, but no signs of Katrina.

"Where do you think she's hiding," Jenny asked me.

"Just connect your brain with Katrina's," I responded, "and you'll help us find her."

"Right," replied Jenny, "I've forgot. Sorry."

"No harm done," I said to Jenny. I then said to my team, "It's too dangerous for us to split-up and find her more easily, since she could pick us off just as much so. Besides, she and the rest of us have Mother Brain's cells. Why not use them, instead?"

"Right," replied the rest of my team.

We would then connect our minds with Katrina's, sensing everything she senses, like what she sees and feels for example. We could see her slowly walking around the room, searching for us, until five-minutes of silence later, she would appear behind us. Taking notice, we would disconnect from her brain, return to ours, and fire several shots from our guns at Katrina, who successfully and flawlessly blocked all our bullets with her psychokinetic powers. The bullets in front of her would float in the air, then fall to the ground.

"Not bad," Katrina would say to us, "for a group of traitors. You've connected your minds with mine via our mother's cells, and took notice of my sneak-attack. For that, I must commend you."

"You don't have to do this, Katrina," Alexis said to her. "None of us have to submit to Mother Brain at all!"

"Alexis is right," said Jenny. "We understand that she's too powerful even with all eight of us, but we can still choose to defy Mother Brain and decide for ourselves!"

"You lie," proclaimed Katrina, as she psychokinetically pushed us backward on the ground. After falling, our backs were on the ground, as we slowly got back up on our feet and continued to face her.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Eric said to Katrina. "My teammates atoned for serving Mother Brain, while I atoned for the crime of illegal hacking and identity-theft. Surely, you can atone for the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre, too."

"It's too late for me," Katrina replied. "I killed fifty-three people with my immense psychic powers, and was considered a threat to the Federation military ever since. I'm beyond redemption, and thus do you have two choices: Rejoin our mother and repay her for making us the most perfect beings in the galaxy, or fight me until either you or me die."

"Hmph," said Joseph, aiming his chozo minigun at Katrina, "looks like we'll have to settle for the latter choice. I wouldn't mind a kick-ass, difficult fight, anyway."

"No," said Eric, as he put his pistol back into his holster and outstretched the palm of his right hand at Katrina. "There's a third option."

"There is no third option," Katrina responded to Eric. "You either fight our mother until you either win or lose, or join our mother and become more powerful than you can ever imagine."

"That's not how I see it, though," replied Eric.

All of a sudden, Katrina would fall on her knees, grasp her head, and scream at a high-pitched tone-of-voice. "What's... going on," cried Katrina.

"Why bother beating or joining you," Eric said to Katrina, "when we can just as easily redeem you of high-school mass-murder?"

"It's the Mother Brain cells the eight of us have inside our heads," Alexis said to Eric, "isn't it?"

"Well yeah," Eric replied, "Mistress of the Obvious! I'm connecting my Mother Brain cells into hers, so that I can free her from Mother Brain's grasp!"

"I can't," cried Katrina, struggling to regain herself. "I... must not... betray... our mother! Pain... stinging... so cold... like a syringe!"

Suddenly, Katrina would float in the air and unleash a powerful blast of psychic energy at us, slamming us into a wall and dealing massive damage to us. The psychic explosion she created was so powerful, it even caused the glass pods to shatter, dropping the sleeping metroids, and Samus's sleeping body, on the ground. As we lied on the ground, Katrina was floating in the air, surrounded by a psychic barrier, her eyes glowing a bright, white light.

"Foolish siblings," Katrina proclaimed to the seven of us, as we slowly got back up on our feet. "You don't know life like I do! It's filled with pain, suffering, and sorrow, and the source of this chaos is the order the Galactic Federation brings forth upon the galaxy! The Federation, like my high-school, would underestimate us, limit our potential, keep us from gaining anything our hearts desire! That's why our mother gave us her cells, to free us from their boundaries and limitations, and gain unlimited power over anything and anyone we want, in exchange for our loyalty to her! Her cells were a gift to you, and you'd spit on her in return, rejecting her gifts so that you can allow the Federation to keep you away from your desires! And for that, you must die!"

"Like Hell, we will," replied Eric, as the seven of us were cornered in-between Katrina and her immense psychic powers, and a wall. Our resident engineer would then face us and say, "Guys, it's just one of her and seven of us! You know what to do!"

"You don't mean," Jenny asked.

"Yes," replied Billy.

"Oh," Jenny said, as she and the rest of us got the point from Eric and Billy, "right."

The seven of us would put our guns away and outstretch the palms of our right hands at Katrina, melding our Mother Brain cells with hers, infiltrating it in the process. Because there was seven of us and only one of her despite her immense psychic powers, Katrina would, again, fall down to her knees, grasp her head, and scream loudly in even more pain with all seven of us than just Eric alone. Slowly and painfully, we would push back any part of Mother Brain's control on Katrina, until thirty-minutes of telepathic fighting later, she would collapse on the ground, in a coma, no longer glowing in psychic energy like when she was conscious and fighting us.

"Katrina," called Eric, as the seven of us ran to her comatose body.

Alexis would place her hand on top of Katrina's body to feel a pulse, and then say to us, "Thank God, she's still alive. She's just unconscious, nothing else."

"And about damn time, too," Eric replied.

"Would've preferred to kill her anyway," Joseph said.

"It's too little, too late to do so," Billy replied to Joseph.

"He's right," I said to Joseph. "Once we save her, we just bring her back to Federation HQ and hope that she recovers, nothing else."

"Again," said a woman's voice, "I knew you wouldn't have to rely on me." We would then look up from Katrina's comatose body to discover Samus, slowly walking toward us and grasping her left arm as if she was in pain. "And," Samus continued to us, "it appears you've saved not only her life, but also my own like on Doleous. _Love_ to repay me for saving you ten years ago, huh?"

"We're glad you're still alive," Jenny said to Samus, "but we need to get Katrina to a Federation hospital!"

"Right," said Samus. She would then face Eric and ask him, "And you must be?"

"My name's Eric," he would respond to Samus. "I'm their new team-member and a military engineer, because _every_ military squad needs an engineer."

"Right," replied Samus. "Now I remember you. You're that 'Man-Hacker' I used to read about in the newspapers, during my time disguised as Massux Raxan. Any reason for joining Lambda Squad and rescuing the same girl that captured and used me to clone a metroid army?"

"Two reasons," Eric said to Samus. "One, because we believe that Mother Brain controlled Katrina and thus needed to be free from her grasp, and two, I once committed online identity-theft during childhood and joined Lambda Squad to use the same skills I used for evil, to atone."

"Now that's noble of you," replied Samus. "As for that girl, I knew that it wasn't her fault that the baby metroid's DNA inside me, which once treated me of the X Parasite, was being used to clone metroids. After all, when I first met her at my house as she infiltrated it, she _did_ constantly refer to Mother Brain as 'her mother.' And I've got to say, you've saved her life alongside mine, when it would've been much easier to just kill her in combat. After all, you said it yourself: There's _always_ a third option besides fighting or joining the bad guys."

"Well, yeah," Eric said. "Everyone knows about that, even the most ignorant of people in the galaxy!"

"So," Alexis said to Samus, "what now?"

"The metroid clones are not dead," replied Samus, "but they're not fully-developed or stable either. Eventually, they and a variety of others of their kind, each in the millions of other cloning-rooms in this facility we're in, will wake-up and, out of instinct, break out of this facility and invade the galaxy, just like the metroids I used to destroy in the past."

"Then how do we get rid of those bastards," asked Joseph.

"I'm going to the main control center," Samus replied, "where I'll activate the station's self-destruct mechanism. Around the same time you take the comatose Katrina to the nearby escape-pods and get out of here before this station explodes."

"You're joking," Jenny replied, "right? Even though we have plenty of time to escape, you won't! There are thousands of cloned alien monsters running wild across the station, and you don't have your power-suit or any other means of self-defense against them. They'll get in your way and you won't have any time to escape!"

"Here," Eric said, taking out his pistol and passing it along to Samus, "take my pistol."

"Eric," Alexis would say to him, "you might need that pistol to defend yourself! How are you going to fight without one?"

"I won't," replied Eric, as he picked up Katrina's comatose body and placed her on his back. "Besides, Samus needs something to defend herself, and without my pistol, she's as good as dead."

"Then I guess we have no other choice," I said, "but to entrust Eric's pistol to Samus."

"Just remember," Eric said to Samus, "_if_ anytime you survive and escape on time, I expect you to give me back my pistol. Otherwise, if you're dead or keep the pistol for yourself, things could get ugly."

"Don't worry," Samus replied, "I'll survive and give the pistol back to you."

And so, we would split up from the cloning-room we were in, Samus heading to the main control room of this facility, the seven of us, eight if you count the comatose Katrina, heading to the escape pods. Because Eric gave his pistol away to Samus, he had no other means to defend himself except rely on us for protection from any of the alien monster clones that would get in our way. After several minutes of navigating this labyrinth-like place, we would arrive at the escape-pods. Only one person could go in each pod, so Eric placed Katrina's comatose body inside one pod, while the seven of us entered our own pods. The eight pods we were inside would then be ejected out of the facility and into the dark recesses of space, flying at hyper-speed just to get us somewhere that is safe.

Our escape-pods would then crash-land on a rural planet, where as we got out, and Eric got Katrina out of her pod and on his back, we then heard someone say, "Hey, what do you think you're doing on my crops?" We would face what appeared to be a male farmer, waving his rake high in the air, as we then looked down and, to our surprise, saw that we were on a small crop-field, the seven of us and our eight pods crushing his farm-crops.

We would then face the farmer as I said, "Listen, we're Federation military personnel, but we didn't mean to..."

"Oh, right," replied the farmer fearfully. "We're supposed to respect the Federation, not berate its personnel."

"Yeah," Billy replied, "even though we've mistakenly crushed your crops."

"If you don't mind," said Alexis, "we'll get off your farm and wait for a certain friend somewhere else."

"Just don't you dare destroy any more of my crops," replied the farmer, as we walked off his crop-field and away from his farm.

As we stood in the middle of a grassy field, waiting for Samus, Eric, who still had Katrina's comatose body on his back, continued, "What the Hell's taking Samus so long? She promised to return my pistol to me!"

"It should've been us that activated the self-destruct mechanism," Alexis said, "then Samus wouldn't have to be the one to suffer."

"Yeah," said Jenny. "After all, _we're_ often the ones that do all the work. All Samus does is stay at her house, twiddling her thumbs all day and night, not minding our inevitable deaths until we complete each of our given assignments."

"If she dies," Joseph would say, "I kick her ass!"

"Ungh," groaned Katrina's voice.

As we faced Katrina on Eric's back, Eric would say to her, "Katrina!" As Eric placed Katrina on the ground, the rest of us would gather around her to see her wake up from her coma.

"You..." Katrina whispered to Eric. She would then face the rest of us, including Eric as well, as she continued, "All of you... sacrificed yourselves... to save me."

"You're not in any condition to get back up," Alexis said to Katrina.

"She's right," Eric continued. "It's best that you save your strength for recovery!"

Katrina would slowly and painfully sit up, grasping her head, as she said to us, "I remembered hiding, running as far away from society as possible, so that I wouldn't be taken into custody by the Federation for the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre. And then, I heard a familiar voice, saying that I'm her daughter, and she promised me power, hospitality, and freedom from the Federation. And then, everything faded to black, and I was caught in the middle of the darkness."

"That familiar voice must be Mother Brain," I said to Katrina.

"Yes," replied Katrina. She would then face each of us, one by one, as she would say, "I remember six out of seven of you. You were the people I befriended back at military school, right before I was discharged for killing several personnel with my uncontrollable psychic powers. Before the seven of us joined the Federation military, we were once Mother Brain's slaves, and she gave me those awful psychic powers that turned me into the very killing machine that would soon be responsible for all those murders in my lifetime. And then, the bounty-hunter, Samus Aran, rescued us at the cost of her life, and the rest needs no explanation."

"You do realize that you were responsible," said Joseph, "for helping Mother Brain use Samus's metroid DNA inside her to clone an army of metroids, right?"

"I... was," asked Katrina.

"Joseph," Eric said to him, "do you have to make bad situations like this worse?"

"What," asked Joseph. "I'm just saying here."

"You don't remember using Samus's metroid DNA," Jenny said to Katrina, "to clone those metroids for Mother Brain, right?"

"I," replied Katrina, "cloned metroids?" The eight of us would be silent for the moment as Katrina thought to herself. After a minute of thinking, Katrina would then say to us, "Samus! What happened to her? Where is she?"

We were silent for the moment, as Katrina continued, "Is she... dead?"

"We don't know," I said quietly to Katrina. "But, even if she's dead, at least she sacrificed herself to save us and the galaxy from those cloned metroids."

"That's okay," Katrina said as she smiled to us. "Besides, you _are_ Samus's successors as protectors of the galaxy!"

"And you know this," asked Joseph, "because?"

"It was because of her connection to us," Mariana answered. As we faced Mariana, she would continue, "As she was possessed and enslaved by Mother Brain, along with the darkness surrounding her, she probably also saw us come for her. She knew we'd be her only hope, her lights within the darkness that was Mother Brain and her control, so she watched us from afar, waiting for us to save her from Mother Brain's reign on her mind."

"Your friend's right," Katrina would say to the rest of us. "As I was enveloped in Mother Brain's darkness, I saw through your eyes, coming for me. I also noticed that your friend was also watching me watch you, which explained how she knew."

"Right," said Eric, "our connection, via Mother Brain's cells!"

As she slowly got back up on her feet, Katrina would say to us, "I owe you people my life. I knew that you'd still care for me like when you used to before I was discharged from military school. I should've known that even in this terrible darkness, there's a light in the form of you, my friends." She would then face Eric and say to him, "And you, Eric, right? Even though you weren't abducted, altered, and enslaved by Mother Brain like the seven of us, you still cared for a complete stranger like me."

"Well yeah," replied Eric, "it's my job to protect people. I didn't join the Federation military and Lambda Squad for the sake glory in battle, you know."

Katrina would then hug Eric, as she would start to pour tears down her eyes in sadness. "But," she said to Eric, "I don't know what to do with my life anymore. I slaughtered several Federation personnel and fifty-three of my high-school's teachers and classmates with my uncontrollable powers! The Federation would probably want me imprisoned or executed by now, since I committed all those horrific acts and is now considered too dangerous to live. I don't even think I can control my psychic powers. And, it's also my fault Samus is probably dead!"

"Don't blame yourself for something you can still atone for," said a familiar woman's voice. We would then turn around and face a heavily battle-scarred Samus, walking from the farm her pod crash-landed on. She was _so _fatigued from whatever it was she went through, that she was probably almost near her inevitable death.

"Samus," the eight of us cried out, as we would run toward Samus.

Samus would take out Eric's pistol, say to him, "Here. A promise is a promise," and tossed the pistol back to Eric as he caught it in the air.

"Never mind my pistol," replied Eric. "How did you survive?"

"He's right," continued Joseph. "There was a corny pitty-party involving Katrina's melodramatic sobbing, and you were late for it!"

"Don't mind me," replied Samus. "I've managed to destroy the metroid-infested facility, and despite all those combat-wounds I received from fighting all those dangerous aliens and metroids, I know how to handle myself in combat, although my skills are getting somewhat rusty ever since I retired."

Katrina would walk closer to Samus, then say to her, "You're saying I can atone for the murders I've committed in my past, right?"

"Well, it's obvious," replied Samus, smiling. "All six original members of Lambda Squad atoned for serving Mother Brain and nearly killing me, while Eric atoned for the crime of cyber identity-theft. So, why not you with the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre and using my metroid DNA to clone Mother Brain's metroid army?"

"Thank you, Samus," replied Katrina. She would then face the seven of us and say, "Do you think there's still a chance that I can rejoin the Federation military, to make up for my crimes of the past?"

"Well," I replied, "none of us really know. But, if we can convince the Federation to get you back into the military to atone for everything you did in your past, then you might be able to fix the damage you've created."

"Yeah, right," said Joseph. "Her powers are too difficult for her to control! I suggest we throw her in a Federation prison so that she wouldn't use her powers to slaughter anyone."

"And I say," I said to Joseph, "you're wrong."

"Hey," Joseph said, as the rest of us laughed.

As we stopped laughing, Katrina will say to us, "Don't worry. I understand the error of my ways, and I know there's some way I can control my powers."

"There _is_ a way to control your psychic powers, Katrina," Samus would say to her. As we faced Samus, she would say to us, "Call Federation HQ to request a pick-up for us, now that the mission is over. I'll help you convince the Federation to get Katrina back into the military, as well as give you a solution to not only Katrina's problems with her powers, but also all eight of you with your Mother Brain cells."

"A solution to another problem," Jenny asked.

"Why don't you explain now," I asked.

"Because," replied Samus, "it's much safer to talk about it at the Federation military base than here."

"Right," I said. I would then turn on my communicator and say, "Federation HQ, this is Captain Richard of Lambda Squad. Our mission is complete, the cloned metroid threat eradicated, and we have rescued both Samus and Katrina. Request pick-up, I repeat, request pick-up!"

"Hold on," said a voice in the communicator, "we have your location, the rural planet of Estell. A transport will come by in two hours."

"Thank you," I replied, "over and out."

"Over and out," replied the voice.

"Well," I said to Samus, Katrina, and my team, I guess we have to find some way to pass the time until a transport shuttle arrives."

"I don't know," replied Billy. "Do you know what to do to pass the time?"

"Hmm..." I replied, as we would find some way to pass the time while waiting for the shuttle.


	4. Chapter 4

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 4

After waiting two hours for the shuttle and getting ourselves picked-up and transported back to the Federation base of operations, we were back at our bunker, sitting on its stoop with Katrina by our side. We were waiting for Samus quietly, as she struggled to pull several strings to get Katrina back to the military, to our side. How she was doing was beyond us, but we prayed endlessly that she would succeed, and waited anxiously for any responses.

It was already night-time, but we weren't in our beds sleeping. We didn't want to give up on Katrina as well as whatever tricks Samus has up her sleeves to pull those strings. By that time, we were too exhausted, our eyes heavy, our urges to yawn strong, and our bodies too slow to move.

"Guys," Katrina said to us.

"Any problems we can alleviate," Eric said to her.

"I'm scared," Katrina replied.

"Don't be," Billy said back to her.

"I'm just saying," Katrina responded. "What if Samus fails at convincing the Federation officials? Instead of serving in the military to atone for my crimes, they might put me in a Federation prison for the rest of my life, or even execute me!"

"Look," I said to Katrina. "We're just as scared as you about your fate, and we're constantly wondering what solution Samus has to help you control your powers, as well as how we can deal with Mother Brain herself."

"So," Joseph continued, "I suggest you shut the Hell up and keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Forgive me," Katrina apologized.

"Don't bother apologizing," Joseph responded.

"As much as I'm not into Joseph's arrogance," Jenny said to Katrina, "I kind of agree. You haven't done anything wrong, and it's normal that you're scared. It's common for every person in the galaxy to be scared."

"But," Katrina said to us, "how would you feel if I were imprisoned for life or executed for killing people with my powers and using Samus's metroid DNA to clone a metroid army? Surely, you wouldn't want that!"

"Don't worry about us," Billy responded. "In fact, don't bother worrying at all. We _know_ Samus. If she can save the galaxy many times over and nearly sacrifice her life to save ours when we were five-years-old, then surely she _might_ pull _some_ strings to get the military to help you atone."

Katrina would think silently to herself for the moment, and after a minute of thinking, she would then respond with, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I responded.

"It's her," Mariana said quietly, looking to her left.

"What is it," Alexis asked her, as all eight of us stood up on our feet and looked to our left, discovering Samus walking toward us. As Samus arrived and we faced each other, Alexis would continue, "So, did you succeed?"

"It took several long, slow hours of convincing," Samus said, "but I've managed to succeed."

"Yes," we excitedly said in unison.

"But," Samus said, catching our attentions, "there's a catch."

"What catch," I asked.

"During my conversation with the top military officials," Samus continued, "whom I used to work for until I left for the bounty-hunter business, I told them about the solution to Katrina's uncontrollable powers, as well as a way to disconnect your Mother Brain cells from Mother Brain herself. On Knolia IV, where I sent six of you to collect anti-metroid weapons in an ancient chozo armory, there were also two more chozo-developed devices you've missed, devices that I apologize for not telling you in the first place."

"And those devices are," Eric asked.

"A chozo hacking-device," Samus continued, "and chozo psychic implants. I couldn't tell you about them because six of you didn't have Eric and Katrina at the time of the Doleous incident, and you, the original members of Lambda Squad, weren't skilled with machines or psychokinesis yourselves, either. If I gave away even the most basic-to-use hacking-device in the entire galaxy to any of you besides Eric, you'd be dead before you could learn how to hack a machine with one while under-fire. As for the implants, they're meant for psychics like Katrina, nobody else like the rest of you."

"They're the same as Eric's hacking-tool," Katrina said, "and those military implants they used to give me to moderate my powers before my discharge, right?"

"There's a difference," Samus continued. "Eric's hacking-tool, which he received and trained with in military school, is just a low-grade basic tool with limited wireless range, built to just open locked doors and safes and give him too limited an access to any nearby computer; Eric _is_ a rookie, after all, and therefore can't be entrusted with a more advanced hacking tool until much later on in his military career. Meanwhile, the psychic implants Katrina was given to moderate and reduce her psychic powers were too weak, because Mother Brain genetically-altered Katrina to be _so_ strong a psychic, that not even the most advanced military implants, let alone years of training and genetic surgeries, could help her control her abilities. I don't know how Mother Brain got the genetic-surgical procedures to make Katrina's psychic powers too strong even for her to control, but if you don't get those mechanical chozo implants, your new friend is as good as either imprisoned for life or executed. As for that chozo hacking tool, fail or refuse to retrieve it, and Mother Brain will constantly attempt to possess you for the rest of your lives until she succeeds."

"You haven't described to us what those chozo devices even do," Joseph told Samus.

"I'm getting to that part," Samus responded. "I know the chozo because I was adopted and raised by them on Planet Zebes, ever since Ridley and his army of space-pirates invaded my home-world and killed my parents. Before their inevitable extinction, they used to be the galaxy's most technologically-advanced race, and not just with anti-metroid guns. During their time, they also built Mother Brain to be their most advanced AI in galactic-history, and even went far as to implant her brain cells into their soldiers, so that they could share each other's thoughts and senses, and therefore work as more cohesive units, with Mother Brain monitoring them and providing them with vital combat information."

"Sort of like us," Jenny responded. "I guess that explains how Mother Brain used to control us, and how we can share each other's senses and therefore work as a team better."

"Mother Brain was a computer," continued Samus, "and her brain cells were all mechanical and electronic. They would wirelessly transmit information between Mother Brain and each chozo soldier, to allow them to instantly develop different combat-tactics and respond to certain situations in nanoseconds, just like any other hyper-advanced computer in the galaxy. As for the chozo with psychic powers, like any other psychic person in the galaxy, often when he's given those powers, whether at birth or through genetic surgery, he lacks the ability to actually control them because of their immense power. So, the chozo developed mechanical psychic implants to regulate each of their psychic people's powers. The side-effect was that those powers would be weakened by the implants, but hey, if I were a psychic, I'd rather have weak powers that I _can_ control than strong powers that I _can't_ control. The psychic implants, today, were based off of that chozo technology, only not as any good or advanced."

"That was when Mother Brain went rogue," Eric said, "that the chozo would develop that hacking-tool that's infinitely more advanced than my beginner's tool, right?"

"Unfortunately," Samus continued, "yes. When she went rogue, she also enslaved any chozo troops that were implanted with her cells, turning them against their own people. So, the galaxy's top chozo scientists, out of desparation, built an advanced and overall dangerous hacking-tool, with technology capable of breaking the link between Mother Brain and her cells within her slaves' heads. They didn't mass-produce these tools and only built one, out of fear that the more common they are, the more likely it would fall into the hands of a dangerous space-pirate or other galactic criminal. I'm saying it's the most dangerous hacking-tool in the galaxy, because it can hack to any advanced computer system, like weapons and defenses, at any range, regardless of how high each computer's level of technology is or how far away it is from the tool. It helped them disconnect Mother Brain's cells within her slaves from Mother Brain herself, but, being the advanced super-computer that she was, she found an enormous series of alternate solutions to bring the chozo to extinction anyway, such as breeding metroids, another one of the chozo's creations."

"Why couldn't they use the hacking-tool to deactivate Mother Brain," Jenny asked.

"They were desparate and running out of time," Samus continued. "Mother Brain, on the other hand, had the capacity to learn and grow like any organic being in the galaxy, such as the chozo, except she does so more quickly than any other computer. She evolved in ways the chozo didn't expect, and eventually developed herself into something so advanced that not even their chozo hacking-tool could save them. All it could do was disconnect Mother Brain from her cells and a galaxy-wide variety of other things, but not hack into a rapidly-evolving Mother Brain herself."

"So the most 'advanced' hacking-tool can't help us combat Mother Brain," Joseph replied. "Some solution to our Mother Brain problems."

"Mother Brain has lived for many years since she destroyed the chozo," continued Samus, "and so far assimilated herself into four bodies, including the smaller one she's in right now. She grew too advanced even for that one chozo hacking-tool to actually hack into her systems, but that doesn't mean it's useless. As soon as you head to Knolia IV and collect that chozo hacking-tool, you must use it to disconnect yourselves from Mother Brain while seeing if you can still retain your connection to rest of yourselves. Mother Brain will no longer have any control over you, but after that you're on your own, with nothing but your chozo-built guns and Katrina's chozo psychic implants to help you combat Mother Brain anytime she wirelessly assimilates herself into a much larger, more advanced body, hidden somewhere on some random, unknown planet in the galaxy, waiting for Mother Brain to possess it."

"The main point," I asked Samus.

"I told the Federation military's higher-ups, including your Commander Sonia, the same stories of those two chozo devices I told you right now," Samus continued. "So, we made a deal: They'll allow Katrina to join the military, atone for her crimes, and gain those chozo implants to moderate her powers, _if_ those chozo implants actually work. Otherwise, if they fail to regulate Katrina's psychic powers as I said they'd do, they'll have her executed for the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre, and using the baby metroid's DNA inside me to clone an army of metroids to invade the galaxy. Meanwhile, Eric gains the hacking-tool but _only_ uses it to release your connection to Mother Brain, nothing else, considering Eric's past-life as the 'Man-Hacker' as well as his rookie status. After that, they confiscate the chozo tool and imprison it in a safe, where nobody could touch it."

"Fair enough," replied Katrina.

"But your ship's at your house," Eric said to Samus. "How can we head to Knolia IV again to collect those chozo psychic implants and chozo hacking-tool if there's no means to get there?"

Samus would take a small key out of her coat-pocket and pass it on to one of us, as she continued, "Don't worry. I've rented for you a ship and everything, to head to Knolia IV to find those chozo-built devices. You might also need chozo-built guns for your new friends, Eric and Katrina, from the same armory you used to go to. It's at the parking-lot where I left it, and if you can't find it, just press the button and your ship will make a loud noise that you'll follow."

"Thanks, Samus," Alexis replied, "I guess."

"However," Samus said to us, "before you go, make sure you get some sleep. You've been staying up all night waiting for me, and you need your rest before you head out to collect that hacking-tool and those psychic implants."

"Yes, Samus," Billy responded, as we got into our bunkers, changed into our sleeping-clothes, washed ourselves up, and went to bed, waiting for tomorrow, when we would search for those chozo-built devices that could help us stop Mother Brain, and help Katrina control her psychic powers.


	5. Chapter 5

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 5

It was the next day, after we slept until morning, woke up, put-on our combat suits and equipped our guns (including Katrina, since she also needed a combat suit and a gun, namely a pistol, to defend herself), and headed for the Planet Knolia IV via the ship Samus rented for us. Meanwhile, Samus was able to return to her house thanks to her former ties with the Federation military, which allowed her to ride a military transport-shuttle home, where her old ship was.

As for Eric, he was one ace of a pilot, even more so than me when I drove Samus/Massux's ship to Knolia IV and back during the Doleous incident. As he flew our rental ship through hyper-space to the planet with those ancient chozo ruins, he would ask Katrina, "So, how's your combat armor holding up for you?"

"Well," Katrina responded, "it's a little heavy, clunky, and overall uncomfortable." Katrina would then take out her pistol in her holster, hold it in her hands as she looked at it, and continued, "Plus, that pistol of mine? I've never wielded a gun in my life except during my training sessions at military school, and the weapon I mostly wield is instead my psychokinesis. I thought it'd be smaller and lighter, but to think that it'd be big and heavy for my hands."

"I suggest you put that gun away," Billy told Katrina. "You might accidentally fire it at any of us if you're not careful, if that thing's loaded, that is."

"Oh," Katrina said, as she put the pistol back into her holster, "right. Sorry."

"Just save your pistol for any enemies we might encounter," Billy responded.

"But," Eric continued to Katrina, "as for your armor, you'll get used to it. After all, once we get those implants and insert them inside your body to moderate your powers, you'll be _officially_ a part of us in no-time, which means that you'll be wearing that armor a lot in combat."

"How do you get used to wearing all that heavy armor," Katrina asked Eric, "as well as wield something as heavy and big as that pistol?"

"You went through military school," Jenny said to Katrina, "before you were discharged, remember? You should know how Eric and the rest of us felt when we put on those suits of combat armor and wield such heavy guns."

"She's right," I said. "The difference was that you were spending less time at our military school practicing with a gun, and more time learning to control your psychic powers."

"Too bad I was discharged, though," Katrina responded, "because, back then, my powers too strong and uncontrollable even for me and my military psychic implants to moderate."

"Don't bother thinking about it," Eric said to Katrina, still piloting the rental ship. "Once we get those implants, deliver them back, and place them inside you, _then_ you'll be controlling your powers and won't have to worry about losing control again."

"Same thing for that chozo hacking-tool," Joseph said. "I'm getting sick and tired of some super-computer making decisions for me."

"Which is what also worries me," Alexis said.

"How does it worry you," Billy asked Alexis.

"Mother Brain might still be watching us from her prison through our brains," Alexis responded. "She might know that if we get the hacking-tool, we'll disconnect from her. She might find some way to keep us from doing so, whether it's send her space-pirates to kill us, or even take control of our minds again."

"You do realize that we can resist her control," Eric said to Alexis, "right? I was torture-trained to resist Mother Brain's control during my time at military school. Meanwhile, six of you guys fought Mother Brain yourselves during the Doleous incident, and kept fighting her every time she'd return to possess you.

"I agree with Alexis," Katrina responded.

"Great," Joseph said, "just what we need, another whiney, doubtful bitch!"

"Unlike you," Katrina continued, "who fought Mother Brain's control many times over, I wasn't trained or experienced with doing likewise. When she found and controlled me, I was too weak and inexperienced to defend myself from her, and was too enveloped in her darkness to actually navigate out. You guys rescued me, but what if she returned, and you weren't there? How do I fight Mother Brain's control by myself without any of your help?"

"You just grow stronger than last time," I replied to Katrina.

"Captain Richard's right," Jenny continued. "Just believe in yourself as hard as you can, don't give up or doubt, and fight like we know you can, and very soon you'll be as free from Mother Brain as the seven of us and the rest of the galaxy."

Katrina would think to herself for a couple of minutes, as we waited for a reply. After thinking to herself, Katrina would then say to us, "'If there's something that needs doing, you just do it yourself.' That's what everyone in the galaxy would say, right? Maybe you're right. If you can handle Mother Brain without Samus's help, then I might be able to do everything you'd say I'd do without yours. But, I don't just want to focus on my own survival alone."

"Why do you say that," Alexis asked.

"Two reasons," Katrina replied. "The first reason is that I have a debt to repay you for saving me from Mother Brain's grasp, and giving me this second chance to redeem myself. The second reason is because I don't want to use my powers to kill people, but rather protect them. I've always wanted to be a hero, to fill Samus's shoes after the way she saved our lives ten years ago. I want to sacrifice my life so that I can protect the galaxy from space-pirates and other criminals and threats, and eventually influence a new generation of people to live strong, peaceful lives, just like Samus before us. Samus was the reason why we're all together, the same reason why I'm with you and receiving the chance to atone for all those murders I've committed. But, not only that, I also want to protect you guys along with the galaxy, because you're my friends."

"Don't get all too sappy on us," Joseph asked, "because I'm _not _a big fan of sappy."

"So," Katrina continued, "if any time Mother Brain returns, I'll do my best to fight her and protect you from her influence, just as you did likewise at the cloning-facility. And I'll become strong enough to control my psychic powers and use them to protect you guys and the rest of the galaxy."

"Not unless we protect you as much as the other way around," Jenny responded.

"Arriving at coordinates, Planet Knolia IV," said the ship's computer.

"Well," Eric said, exiting hyperdrive as we arrived back on Knolia IV's orbit, "this is our stop."

"Land this ship into the atmosphere," I ordered Eric.

"Yes, captain," replied Eric, as he drove the ship into Knolia IV's atmosphere, and onto its surface, nearby a series of ancient chozo ruins.

We would get off our ship, arming our guns with us just in case any space-monsters got in our way. "So," Eric said, "this must be that planet you got the anti-metroid weapons from, huh?"

"We're not here for a field-trip," I said to Eric. I would then summon a small holographic map of the chozo ruins from my wrist watch and showed it to my team. One part of the map had a green dot leading to the armory, where we found our chozo weapons, the other green dot leading to an R&D lab, which contains the chozo psychic implants and the chozo hacking-device. The red-dot was our location. "This is where we are," I said to my team as I displayed my map, "and this is where each of our destinations are. Because there are two locations and eight of us, it's best that we split up into two groups of four, one heading for the armory to get Eric and Katrina chozo weapons of their own, the other the ancient R&D labs where the devices are." I then reduced the holographic map back into my wrist-watch, then faced my team and said, "We split our groups based on gender, meaning that four girls head for the armory while four boys head for the labs."

"Because I'm second-in-command," Jenny said, "I'll be leading the girls' team to the armory."

"Then I'll lead the boys' team to the labs," I responded. "Any questions before we go?"

"No, captain," replied my team.

"Then let's roll out," I responded, as we would split up and take separate paths, the girls heading to the armory, and us boys heading to the R&D labs.

As we walked, shooting off any wild alien monsters that want us dead along the way, we would also talk for a bit. "I hope Katrina keeps her psychic powers under control long enough for us to get what we need," Eric said. "I'm very worried about her."

"So what," asked Billy. "Any time that happens, the other three girls will just meld their minds with hers to push back Mother Brain's control. And, when they need our help, we connect ours with her's as well."

"Either that," Joseph said, "or we can always put her down. You know, just in case we can't save that woman from Mother Brain?"

"You're just looking for an excuse to fight a difficult battle," I said to Joseph. "There's no need to kill one of our own teammates, even if one-out-of-eight of us has uncontrollable psychic powers."

"What," asked Joseph, "I'm just kidding here. Besides, I'd rather kill a couple of cannon-fodder monsters than take down one of our own. Wouldn't want to be charged with murdering a potential ally, anyway."

"I knew you'd say that," I responded. I then said, "Speaking of being worried about Katrina..." as I then turned on my communicator and said to the girls, "Captain Richard to Lieutenant Jenny, can you hear me?"

"This is Lieutenant Jenny, over," replied Jenny's voice.

"Two questions," I continued. "One, is Katrina under control? And two, did you arrive at the chozo armory, yet?"

"We're nearing the armory," replied Jenny, "and Katrina is keeping her powers under control for as long as possible."

"Good," I said. "I'm asking because Eric was worried about Katrina."

"We're worried, as well," replied Jenny, "but so far, everything's going fine. A couple of alien monsters that tried to kill us, but they aren't much of a threat."

"Thanks," I said, "over and out."

"Over and out," replied Jenny, as I turned off my communicator.

After around an hour of walking through the chozo ruins of Knolia IV, we would eventually arrive at a small research and development laboratory, containing all sorts of chozo inventions.

"Looks like we hit the jack-pot," Joseph said to us.

"Where are the implants and hacking-tool, though," Eric asked.

"There's a metallic door on the other end of the laboratory," replied Billy, pointing to us the metallic door he mentioned.

"Right," Eric said, "I should've known." We would head toward the door, and to our surprise discovered an electronic lock terminal on the right side of the door.

"Well this sucks," Joseph said.

"It looks like we need a password to open this door," I said. "Unfortunately, the chozo probably have the password, and they took it to their graves." I would then face Eric and ask, "Even if you have a beginner's hacking-tool as opposed to a more advanced one, do you think you can still hack into the door?"

"One moment," replied Eric, as he took out his wireless hacking-tool and aimed it at the terminal. After a minute of waiting for a response from Eric, he would then respond with, "Now that's amazing."

"What is it," Billy asked.

"I can still hack into the terminal and open the door," proclaimed Eric. "However, this door was built by the chozo a very long time ago, and I have a low-grade beginner's hacking-tool, so it might take two or more hours to actually unlock that door."

"Do it," I ordered. "Two hours may seem like a long time, but we don't have enough time to waste anyway."

"Right," replied Eric, as he started to wirelessly hack into the door's lock terminal.

"Great," Joseph said. "We have to wait two hours?"

"The two hours will be worth it in the end," Billy would say to Joseph. "Don't let doubt cloud your judgement."

"Whatever," replied Joseph.

"Lieutenant Jenny to Captain Richard," replied Jenny's voice in my communicator, "respond!"

I would then say to my communicator, "This is Captain Richard. Are you any trouble?"

"Unfortunately," replied Jenny, "yes. We've managed to get two chozo pistols, one for Eric and the other for Katrina, but we've encountered an Omega metroid clone!"

"An Omega metroid clone," I asked.

"That's impossible," Joseph said. "We destroyed the cloning facility and every last metroid clone inside it."

"Tell me," I said, "how can there be an Omega Metroid clone?"

"I don't know," replied Jenny.

"There's an explanation," Katrina's voice would say to me. "I may not remember anything when I was possessed by Mother Brain, but I do _slightly_ remember myself passing on a small portion of Samus's metroid DNA to a group of space-pirates while she controlled me. But that's all I remember when I was enslaved."

"Right," I replied. "Those space-pirates were probably working for Mother Brain, even though she's still in her prison, and used the portion of Samus's metroid DNA to clone that monster you girls are fighting now. Can you girls be able to fight the Omega metroid clone while we're gone?"

"I'm afraid we can't," replied Jenny. "Even with our anti-metroid chozo weapons, we can't seem to land a scratch on..." I would then hear static from my communicator.

"Jenny," I yelled, "can you hear me? Respond now!" Hearing nothing but more static, I turned off my communicator and said to Billy, Joseph, and Eric, "I'm going to rescue the girls alone. Joseph, Billy, guard Eric while he unlocks the door with his hacking-tool!"

"You," Joseph asked, "going alone? You're an even bigger idiot than I'd imagine! Besides, you've got a weak assault rifle and I have a minigun that can turn into an immensely powerful RPG-launcher! How can you..."

"Let him save the girls," Billy interrupted Joseph.

"You, too," Joseph asked Billy.

"We have to guard Eric while he hacks the door," Billy responded. "Without our help, Eric will be vulnerable to attack!"

"Hmph," Joseph grunted, as he then said to me, "Die out there, and I'll kick your sorry ass."

"Thanks for your concern," I said to Joseph, as I left the R&D lab, leaving Billy, Joseph, and Eric behind while I headed for Jenny, Mariana, Alexis, and Katrina.

After a long time navigating this oversized labyrinth that was the chozo ruins, fighting any monsters that got in my way, I would eventually arrive at the hallway leading to the chozo armory. There, to my shock, I saw the dead body of the Omega metroid clone, along with the bodies of the four girls. "Girls," I called out, as I would run toward them and check for any vital signs within each of the girls. "Thank the lord," I said to myself, "the girls are still alive and in a coma."

"Ungh," groaned Katrina.

As I faced Katrina, who was lying on the ground, I would see her slowly open her eyes and sit back up, as I ran toward her side and say, "Katrina, don't get up! You need to recover!"

"Richard," Katrina would say to me.

"Tell me what happened before our communication was cut-off," I said to Katrina.

"I remember the four of us fighting that Omega metroid clone," Katrina responded, "and it was too powerful even for us. So, I used an immense psychic blast to kill that monster, and everything would go black." She would then look at the comatose bodies of Jenny, Alexis, and Mariana, and then say to me, "What happened to the other girls? Are they..."

"No," I said, "they're not. I checked their vital signs and learned that they're still alive. Don't worry, they may not look like it, but they're much tougher than they look. You haven't done anything wrong, you were just protecting your teammates from that beast, nothing else."

"But still," Katrina sadly responded, "it's my fault they were knocked into a coma. I've lost control of my powers again and nearly killed our teammates! Richard, what if those chozo implants won't work? What if they won't reduce and moderate my powers? I don't want to kill you or any of our friends by accident!" She would start to pour tears down her face in sadness.

"Don't cry," I comforted Katrina. "I'm right here, and you haven't killed anyone except the Omega metroid clone. You were just defending yourself and the rest of our friends, that's all. Just relax and I'll take you and the other girls to the ship where it's safe." I would then turn on my communicator and say to Joseph, Billy, and Eric, "This is Captain Richard, respond."

"We're right here," Eric's voice replied. "So far, I've yet to crack into the door's systems. Just give me another hour and thirty minutes and I'll have it opened in no time. Don't worry, Billy and Joseph did a nice job protecting me so far."

"Katrina killed the Omega metroid clone with her psychic powers," I said to my male teammates, "but lost control of them and accidentally knocked Jenny, Mariana, and Alexis into a coma. I'm delivering them to the ship where it's safe. In the meantime, stay where you are, and if any monsters try to kill you, defend yourselves."

"That includes me," Eric asked, "even though I'm still too busy unlocking the door?"

"No, Eric," I said. "Joseph and Billy will handle the fighting while you're busy. Don't get yourselves killed out there while I'm gone, alright?"

"Just make sure you come back alive," Joseph said, "or you won't like me when I'm pissed off!"

"Thanks," I responded, turning off my communicator. I then said to Katrina, "I know I'm going to contradict myself after saying 'don't get up, you need to recover,' but right now I need your help in carrying Jenny, Mariana, and Alexis."

"Right," Katrina said, as I slowly helped her back up on her feet.

"Can you still use your psychic powers to lift Mariana and Alexis's comatose bodies," I asked Katrina.

"I think so," responded Katrina, as she would then struggle to slowly lift the comatose Mariana and Alexis in the air with her powers. As for me, I'd carry the equally-comatose Jenny on my back, as Katrina and I would carry our comatose female teammates back to the ship.

We'd arrive back at the ship and place Jenny, Alexis, and Mariana's comatose bodies inside of it. I'd then say to Katrina, "Do you have enough psychic strength to protect our female teammates while I'm away to rendevouz with Billy, Joseph, and Eric at the chozo R&D lab?"

"I don't know if I do," replied Katrina, "but I hope so."

"I promise you," I said to Katrina, "our male teammates and I will be back with the implants and hacking-tool. In the meantime, protect Jenny, Alexis, and Mariana with your life, but don't use too much of your powers or else you'll lose control of them again."

"Yes, Richard," replied Katrina.

Leaving Katrina with the three comatose female teammates, I'd get out of our ship, turn on my communicator, and say to my male teammates, "This is Richard, do you copy?"

"We copy," Eric responded.

"What's your status," I asked them.

"Well," Eric responded, "just when I was about to go even further into that door's systems, Joseph had to develop the knack to launch a chozo RPG into the wall, on the right of the door!"

"I'm the impatient type," Joseph said. "We've got no time to wait while Mr. Man-Hacker himself fiddles with the door's lock terminal!"

"My name is Eric," Eric said to Joseph.

"Whatever," Joseph responded.

"There's no time to argue," I said to my male teammates. "Since you blew a hole in the wall next to the metal door with your RPG, Joseph, do you see any signs of the implants and hacking-tool?"

"There's smoke coming from the explosion in front of us," replied Joseph, "but once the... no wait, the smoke is clearing... there's a hidden room behind the hole I made... yes, the implants and hacking-tool are there. And holy-crap do they barely resemble what I'd imagine! Literally, they're basically the same as the Federation military's psychic implants and hacking-tools!"

"No comments," Billy said to Joseph.

"Billy's right," I said to Joseph. "The three of you, grab those implants and hacking-tool, get the Hell out of here, and meet me back in the ship!"

"Yes, Richard," replied Joseph, Billy, and Eric.

"Over and out," I said.

"Over and out," responded the three males of the team, as I turned off my communicator.

I'd then get back into the rental ship to check on Katrina and our comatose female teammates, as I'd then say to Katrina, "I called Joseph, Billy, and Eric. They've managed to get the implants and hacking-tool in the chozo R&D lab, and they're coming back."

"Will they survive," asked Katrina.

"Trust me," I responded. "They're much tougher than they look, just like Alexis, Jenny, and Mariana."

"Ungh," groaned the comatose girls, as they slowly opened their eyes.

"Girls," Katrina and I cried, as we watched the girls slowly sit up off their backs.

"What happened," asked Alexis.

"I remember fighting an Omega metroid clone," said Jenny, "when Katrina used her powers to help us defeat it. But then, she'd lose control of them again, and everything around us went black."

"It's my fault," Katrina said to the other girls. "I had to use all my powers to help us destroy the Omega metroid clone and ended up knocking you three into a coma. I'm very sorry it happened, and I hope there's someway I can fix this."

"Don't blame yourself," Alexis said. "You did what you had to do to defend us from that thing."

"Also," said Jenny, "we're much tougher than we look. You didn't kill us, we survived because we were stubborn."

"Right," Katrina said to the other girls. "Thanks for accepting my apology, even though I haven't done anything to make-up for knocking you into a coma except apologize."

"All that matters," I said to the girls, "is that we wait for Joseph, Billy, and Eric to arrive with the chozo implants and chozo hacking-tool, alive and well. I'll guard the ship from any intruders, the four of you stay here."

"We can still fight, you know," Alexis responded. "If I could just get up and move my body, I could..."

"First of all," I said, "that's an order. And second of all, you still need to recover from your coma."

"Sorry," Alexis and Jenny said, while Mariana remained silent as usual.

"And Katrina," I said to her.

"Yes, Richard," asked Katrina.

"Make sure they stay to rest," I said. "If they get back up again, hold them down with your psychokinesis. Just don't hold them down _too_ hard, though, or else you might mistakenly kill them."

"Yes, Richard," responded Katrina.

I would get out of our rental ship again, leaving behind Katrina and the other three girls, to wait for Joseph, Billy, and Eric to arrive again. However, it didn't really take that long for me to wait, as I then saw Joseph, Billy, and Eric arrive, carrying a plastic bag full of the miniature chozo psychic implants, each resembling small nodes, as well as the chozo hacking-tool, which resembled Eric's military hacking-tool.

"Well," Billy said, "we're back, and we've got the implants and tool."

"Good," I responded to Billy.

"Tell us," Eric said, "are the girls going to be okay after their fight with the Omega metroid clone?"

"They're awake," I said, "but are still in need of recovery from Katrina's psychic blast."

"But even then," Joseph continued, "mission accomplished! All that matters now is that we go home, insert those implants inside Katrina's body, and let Eric use the hacking-tool to disconnect Mother Brain from her cells within us."

"We may not get along," I said to Joseph, "but at least you're speaking my language. The eight of us already had enough of a lifetime to go back to Knolia IV's chozo ruins to collect stuff we missed."

"Right," Billy, Eric, and Joseph would respond, as we'd get back on our rental ship. Eric would then use the key to turn on the ship's systems, then fly the eight of us out of Knolia IV's atmosphere and into outer-space, where we would head back to base via hyper-space.


	6. Chapter 6

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 6

The day after our second trip to Knolia IV, the eight of us were at a Federation military hospital, in Katrina's room, where Katrina was resting on her hospital bed, waiting to receive her psychic implant surgery. "Say, Katrina," Eric said, "are you scared in any way?"

"Thanks to you guys," Katrina responded, "no. Back before I was discharged from military school, I once went through a surgical operation that involved installing military psychic implants. At first, I was scared, because I often heard that the surgical procedure can kill the patient any time the surgeons aren't careful. However, I survived, and surely I'll survive receiving the chozo psychic implants as well. There's no need for your concern, though."

"I was only asking this," Eric said, "because chances are installing chozo implants might be nothing like installing Federation military implants. Sure, both sets of implants are the same, but the chozo implants are several times more advanced and powerful than the Federation's implants."

"The chozo implants might be _so_ powerful," said Alexis, "that it might give you a larger variety of horrific side-effects than just reducing the strength of your powers, like drowsiness, reduced senses, weight-gain, slower metabolism, even an incredibly-reduced heart-rate. It might slow your heart-rate down _so_ much that it could even stop your heart from beating altogether, causing you to die!"

"And you know this," Katrina said to Alexis, "because you're the group's medic, am I right?"

"I studied a lot of human and alien biology at military school," Alexis responded, "just so that I can become the medic I am. Cybernetic-biology, especially with cybernetic implants like the ones built by the chozo that will reduce and moderate your powers, is basically a sub-field that had to go along with my education on biology and its various other sub-fields, my most vital sub-field being medical-biology. But I pray that you survive your surgery and your new chozo implants, anyway, because you're mine and my team's friend and a potential protector of the galaxy like Samus and the seven of us."

"Prayers alone, a successful surgical procedure does not make," said a familiar woman's voice. We would then face the door and discover Samus Aran in her old blue-and-yellow fusion-armor, which she used when she saved us ten years ago. "You also need the best doctors a Hell-lot of money can buy, as well."

"Samus," I said to her.

"I've read your mission report on Knolia IV," Samus would say to us. "You've encountered an Omega metroid clone, am I right? And before that, when I was captured and placed in a pod at the cloning-facility, I also remembered seeing the possessed Katrina giving a portion of my metroid DNA to a small group of space-pirates."

"Before you can continue, though," Jenny said, "let me ask you a question: Why are you wearing your old fusion-suit in the hospital, if there's no space-pirates or alien monsters to combat here?"

"It's just in case Mother Brain possesses Katrina while she's on the surgery table," Samus responded.

"You're joking," said Joseph, "right?"

"Katrina's Mother Brain cells as well as Mother Brain's influence on her and the rest of you," Samus continued, "needs no introduction. What I _do_ need to describe to you is that while the doctors put her to sleep so that they can perform surgery on her with the chozo psychic implants, she and her mind will be vulnerable to attack from Mother Brain's power. The same is true for Eric, considering that if he were to use the chozo hacking-device you've got from Knolia IV's chozo R&D labs, to disconnect Mother Brain from your minds, he'll also be vulnerable to her attack. She knows that you have the hacking-tool, and she'll find some way to stop your seventh teammate from severing your telepathic link with her, whether it's hack into the hacking-tool herself and permanently disable it from the inside, possess Eric's mind, possess any of the rest of you to kill Eric and destroy the tool, or just plain any other tricks she has up her sleeves, so to speak."

"So the suit of armor," Alexis said, "is to kill Katrina any time she awakens and is being controlled by Mother Brain to kill you and the rest of us. How could you say such a thing?"

"I know," Samus responded. "I don't like it either, but there's only one other option besides that."

"And that is," Billy asked.

"The six of you," Samus responded, "the original members of Lambda Squad before Eric and Katrina joined you, will connect to Mother Brain's mainframe via her cells within your brains. There, you'll distract her from attacking Eric and his new chozo hacking-tool, as well as from possessing Katrina while on the operating table, long enough for your team's engineer to disconnect himself and the rest of you from Mother Brain. Eric won't be able to join you, since he'll be too busy trying to disconnect himself and the other seven of you with his chozo hacking-tool, and is therefore vulnerable to Mother Brain unless she's distracted for a small time. At that point, you'll expose yourselves to Mother Brain, and if any time she defeats you before Eric succeeds at disconnecting you from Mother Brain with the hacking-tool, she'll possess you along with Eric and Katrina, destroy the chozo hacking-tool, and threaten to invade the galaxy with you as her thralls. And, it's at that point, there's no way I can convince you to fight Mother Brain's control again, and I'll have no other choice but to kill you in battle to save everyone else."

"Why not just freeze us with your ice-beam," asked Katrina, "and then put us inside a prison-cell to combat Mother Brain in our minds there, where we won't be a threat to the galaxy?"

"Because," Samus responded, "when I first fought seven-out-of-eight of you ten years ago, Mother Brain genetically-altered and developed you _so_ much, that not even my suit's ice-beam or any of my other power-ups could stop you. Because of that, once you lose against Mother Brain and she successfully possesses you again, then you'll become threats to the galaxy and therefore have to die so that every innocent person could live."

"You do realize," Billy said, "that if you kill us, you'd strip yourself of your potential next generation of galactic-protectors, and would have to choose to either come out of retirement and back to the bounty-hunter business, or find a new set of kids for the Federation to train into your new replacements."

"That," Samus responded, "I'm thinking about already, but thanks for the suggestion anyway."

"I don't know what to believe," I said, "but you're probably right. Besides, every time Mother Brain would attempt to possess us, she'd usually grow more powerful than the previous times. By now, though, she probably grew _too_ powerful even for all eight of us to defeat again, and once we fight her and lose, there's no way we can regain control of ourselves like the previous times."

"So you're suggesting," Alexis said to me, "that we let Samus kill us?"

"We just as much want the galaxy to be safe and secure as Samus," I said. "I wouldn't mind my death at the hands of Samus, as long as I don't kill anyone against my will. And, neither should you, guys."

"Right," said my teammates.

"Then," Samus said, "if any time you're ready, speak to me outside of Katrina's room, in the hallway, where I'll be waiting. In the meantime, prepare yourselves as much as possible for your internal conflict against Mother Brain."

Samus would then leave Katrina's room, leaving the eight of us alone with each other. Upset, Katrina would say, "I can't believe Samus would say such a thing! She's supposed to be a hero, our hero, and yet she threatens to kill us any time Mother Brain succeeds at possessing us! Guys, I'm now given a good reason to fear my surgery besides the chances it'll fail!"

Eric would hold on to Katrina's hands, as he would say, "No, she won't, and we're _not_ going to get ourselves possessed by Mother Brain, either."

"I wish I had your courage," Katrina said to Eric.

"Hey," Eric responded, "you're the galaxy's most powerful psychic. You're too strong to even allow Mother Brain to come and control you like last time. Any time she tries to, the original six members of our team will connect to your mind again and push her back from you, freeing you from her in the process. So please, do us all a favor and strip your mind of every doubt!"

Katrina would think to herself for a moment, then after a minute of doing so, she'd then face us, smile, and say, "Thanks for the suggestion, Eric. I know I have incredible faith in you and the rest of our friends!"

"Then we have a deal," Eric gladly replied.

The psychic implant surgery on Katrina would begin, as the seven of us, eight if you count Samus in her fusion-suit, waited outside the operating room for her. Eric was holding the chozo hacking-tool in his hands, getting ready to hack into our Mother Brain cells and disconnect them from Mother Brain, to free us from her for good.

"So," Samus said to the seven of us, "are you ready? Once you enter Mother Brain's mainframe through her cells within your head, there's no turning back until either Eric breaks your connection to her with the chozo hacking-tool, or all of you get yourselves possessed by her and thus and have to die by my hands."

"We're ready, Samus," I said.

"We understand the risks involved," Jenny said, "so we're going in."

"We've fought Mother Brain plenty of times," Joseph said, "so why not fight her again?"

"Then promise me you won't get possessed," Samus responded.

"We promise you," Alexis said, "that we won't fail."

"Then I have your word," Samus responded. She would then face Eric and say, "Start the hacking process, now."

"Yes, Samus," responded Eric.

As Eric would turn on the hacking-tool, the six of us original members would connect our minds into Mother Brain's mainframe, via the cells we share with her. We would leave behind the hospital where we were sitting at, and a few seconds later, entered what appeared to be a large, virtual labyrinth that resembled something out of an Escher painting.

"Well," Billy said, "here we are, inside Mother Brain's mainframe."

"How will we find Mother Brain in this place," asked Alexis. "By now, she probably possessed Eric and Katrina while we're away."

"Why are you asking questions you already know the answers to," Jenny asked Alexis.

"Jenny's right," I said to Alexis. "We can share all of Mother Brain's thoughts and senses. All we have to do is connect ourselves to Mother Brain, and we'll see everything she sees."

"Right," responded my team.

We would then connect our minds into Mother Brain's eyes, searching for wherever she was hiding in that labyrinth. Through Mother Brain's eyes, we could see her humanoid body from below, similar to her final form from our last battle after the Doleous incident. She slowly walked through a dark hallway within the labyrinth, and appeared behind a wall, seeing us from a mile away. She would then take out a large sniper-rifle, similar to Jenny's, as she placed its scope on her eye, aiming the rifle at us while we weren't facing her. Being the expert sniper that she was, as well as figuring out Mother Brain's location, Jenny took out her sniper-rifle, aimed it at where Mother Brain was looking at us, and fired a long-range shot at the rogue AI. Unfortunately for us, with her quick reflexes, Mother Brain erected a cybernetic-shield to stop the bullet in its place, then fired her sniper-shot at Jenny's right-shoulder, wounding and knocking her down on the ground.

"Jenny," we yelled, as we disconnected from Mother Brain's eyes back to our own, and headed to Jenny's side.

"My shoulder," cried Jenny. "The previous times we've fought Mother Brain she didn't use my sniper-rifle! Why take my own weapon and use it against us?"

"Not just your sniper-rifle, Jenny," replied Mother Brain.

We would then see a small sticky-bomb, similar to the ones Billy would use, as it flew in the air and stuck itself on the ground, next to Jenny.

"Damn it," I said. Reactingly quickly, I would grab Jenny off the ground as we ran away from the sticky bomb, but the imminent blast radius from the sticky-bomb would cause us to fly into the walls, slamming us there.

As we got up and regrouped, Billy then said, "Was that my sticky-bomb?"

"I've created you," Mother Brain said, "and therefore possess your combat data, including Mariana's cloaking-device and stealth-skills, Jenny's sniper-skills, Alexis's medical skills, Billy's demolition skills, Joseph's heavy-weapons skills, Richard's close-to-mid-range skills, and even Eric's technical skills!"

"Why haven't you used them in the first place," I said, "during our previous fights for our self-control?"

"It was because I've underestimated how far in combat experience you've grown," Mother Brain responded. "If I can't use my own powers when I fight to control you, then you leave me no other choice but to take your combat skills and use them against you!"

"You really are a bitch," Joseph responded.

"But enough about me," Mother Brain continued. "You've not only defied your mother too many times, but also grew too powerful and experienced in combat even for me to eliminate! You would also protect your new teammates, Eric and Katrina, from my power, long enough for your engineer of the team to disconnect you and I from each other! For that, you must die!"

We'd then see a large RPG flying from afar toward us, as I'd then ordered my team, "Run like Hell!" With the injured Jenny on my back, my team and I would run from the RPG before it'd explode on contact, as we'd hide behind a wall, hoping that Mother Brain doesn't find us. I then placed Jenny on the ground and ordered to Alexis, "Patch her up, we'll cover you and Jenny!"

"Yes, sir," replied Alexis, as she got her medkit and took out a small surgery knife and a large bandage.

Alexis inserted the knife inside Jenny's bullet-wound, as our top sniper yelled, "Ouch! Watch where you're going!"

"Forgive me," replied Alexis, "but that bullet will infect you unless I remove it!"

After slowly removing the bullet out of Jenny's right shoulder, Alexis would then wrap her bullet-wound underneath the large bandage, covering it up to prevent further bleeding.

"Thanks," Jenny said to Alexis.

"No problem," replied Alexis.

Jenny would attempt to move her right arm, but yelled in pain. "Jenny," Alexis said to her, "don't move your arm! It'll only worsen the wound!"

"I can still fight," replied Jenny. "Just let me take out my sniper-rifle and my skills won't go to waste!"

"Alexis is right," I said to Jenny. "You're too injured to continue. It's best that you do nothing for the time being until your wound heals!"

"But..." objected Jenny.

"That's an order," I interrupted.

"Yes, sir," replied Jenny.

"Captain Richard," Alexis said to me, "we can't just leave one of us behind to hide and protect Jenny where it's safe. Mother Brain might connect to Jenny's perspective to locate her, and then finish her off while she's injured!"

"I was thinking the same thing," I responded. "One of us has to carry Jenny on our backs while sticking with us at all times."

"It's too dangerous to split-up," Billy said. "Doing so would leave us more vulnerable to Mother Brain's attacks, especially when she melds her mind with one of ours to locate us."

"You're right, Billy," I said to him, as I then spoke to my entire team, "we stay close to each other at all costs while protecting the injured Jenny."

"What about connecting to Mother Brain's mind," Joseph asked. "We can always locate her and attack before she does likewise with us."

"I was suggesting not to," I responded, "considering Mother Brain's immense power. But, if we don't fight her back, she'll possess Eric and Katrina in the real-world, turn the two against us, and destroy the chozo hacking-tool! So, really, I guess there's no other choice but to accept your plan, Joseph."

"Good thinking, my friend," Joseph said. As I faced the rest of my team, I suddenly saw a bizarre, camoflaged silhouette resembling Mother Brain in her humanoid-form, sneaking behind Mariana. "Um," I said to Mariana.

"What," Mariana asked. The silhouette would walk too close to Mariana from behind, as it took out its pistol and aimed it at point-blank range, at Mariana's head. However, before the silhouette could pull the trigger, Mariana reacted quickly, grabbing the silhouette by the gun-holding arm and and slamming it into the wall, holding it still. The silhouette would then turn off its camoflage, revealing itself to be none other than Mother Brain in her humanoid from our final battle with her, after the Doleous incident!

"It appears you really _are_ the perfect soldier I've made you into," Mother Brain said to Mariana. "However, you and your siblings are threats to my plans, and must die or be possessed by me at any cost!"

Mother Brain would then grab Mariana and slam her into the same wall she was slammed on, trapping our resident-scout in the process. Mariana then kicked Mother Brain backward, and then charged and pushed her into the opposite wall, punching her in the stomach and head in the process.

"Mariana," the five of us called out, as Mother Brain and Mariana entered a fist-fight, while four of us (except Jenny, who was still on Alexis's back, recovering from her bullet-wound) took out our guns and aimed them at Mother Brain. The fist fight would last for thirty-seconds, as Mother Brain grabbed Mariana and held her in front of us, holding her hostage while holding her pistol toward our teammate's head.

While the four of us aimed our guns at Mother Brain, I'd then say to her, "Release Mariana, now!"

"Put your guns down and surrender, first," Mother Brain responded to us, "and then I shall release your sister and teammate! Otherwise, I _will_ kill or possess her!"

Suddenly, Mariana would hit Mother Brain in the stomach with her elbow, then take out her submachine gun and aim it directly at Mother Brain's head, while Mother Brain aimed her pistol at Mariana's head. Our team's scout and the rogue super-AI were in a deadlock. "Do you think your close-quarters combat skills can stop me," Mother Brain asked Jenny.

"No," said Mariana, "but we'll still figure out a way to stop you."

"There is no way to stop me," replied Mother Brain. She'd then toss her pistol away behind her, as she'd kick Mariana's submachine gun out of her hands and into the air. The rogue-AI that once created and enslaved us would then disappear behind Mariana, grabbing both the submachine gun flying in the air, and the other submachine gun from her holster, and aimed them at Mariana.

"Mariana," we called out.

As she turned around to face Mother Brain, aiming Mariana's own submachine guns at her, Mother Brain said, "It's time your mother gives you a permanent time-out!"

Before Mariana and the rest of us could react, all of us watched helplessly as Mother Brain pulled the triggers on each submachine gun, firing several bullets at Mariana. However, for some bizarre reason, the submachine gun bullets stopped in their tracks, in-between Mariana and Mother Brain, floating in the air. "What in all nine circles of Hell," Joseph said, shockingly.

"How did I survive," Mariana asked herself.

"No," said Mother Brain, looking behind Mariana, "it can't be!"

"What," the six of us said in unison. The six of us and Mother Brain would then look what was behind Mariana, and to our surprise, discovered Katrina herself, using her telekinetic powers to stop the bullets from piercing Mariana! "Katrina," my team and I said to her in unison.

"Impossible," Mother Brain said to Katrina. "You're supposed to be on the operating-table, unaware of my battle against your siblings!"

"While I was sleeping on the operating table," Katrina said, "and the doctors performed surgery on me with the chozo psychic implants, I overheard the sounds of combat within my mind. The sounds came from your internal conflict with each other, and I knew that my friends at Lambda Squad were in danger. So, rather than do nothing while Lambda Squad suffers, I chose to come here and help them defeat you, Mother Brain. After all, I owe them my life, and I need to do something in return for their acts of heroism and friendship!"

With her psychokinetic powers, Katrina would then shoot the stray, floating bullets at Mother Brain, at point-blank range, piercing her entire body like any bullet would to its target when shot. As Mother Brain fell on the ground, face-down, we'd then gather around her inanimate body, checking to see if she's truly dead.

"Do you think Mother Brain's finally dead," Katrina asked us.

"I suggest that one of us finishes-off Mother Brain just in case," I said.

"I'll do it," Alexis said, taking out her pistol and aiming it at Mother Brain's body, while still carrying Jenny on her back. With the pull of the trigger, Alexis fired a pistol-bullet at Mother Brain's head, finishing her off in the process.

"Well," Joseph said, "looks like there's not much need for that chozo hacking-device."

"You're right," I responded. I'd then say to my entire team, "Come on, Samus is probably waiting for us."

"Do you really think I'm dead," replied Mother Brain, as she still lied on the ground.

"Did you just speak to us," Billy asked.

Suddenly, Mother Brain got up off the ground and hovered in the air, lifting all seven of us in the air as well with her cybernetic powers. She'd then toss us through the wall and back into the area we started in, as she held us still in the ground, keeping us from moving.

"I can't move," Jenny said.

"Can't.. break free," Alexis said.

Mother Brain then floated in the air as we faced each other. She'd then summon seven assault-rifles, each floating in the air as well, and aimed them at us, getting ready to fire. "You have two choices, my children," Mother Brain said to us. "Rejoin me, and you'll be free from Federation rule, gaining power over anything and anybody you want in the process, or die, execution-style, for your acts of treason against me!"

"We'd rather die and save the galaxy from the likes of you," Joseph responded, "than live and become your disposable tools again!"

"Then you're all fools," responded Mother Brain.

However, before she could fire those assault rifles, the entire labyrinth around us disappeared with Mother Brain, and everything went black. All of a sudden, we were disconnected from Mother Brain's mainframe, and the six of us were back at the hospital with Eric and Samus, while Katrina was still in the operating room, receiving her chozo psychic implants.

As we slowly recovered ourselves, Eric said to us, "Funny, I thought it'd take me several hours to disconnect us from Mother Brain. But, to think that it'd only take me about one hour alone, instead!"

Samus took off her fusion-suit's helmet, revealing her face, as she'd say to us, "Lambda Squad, are you alright?"

Recovering my senses, I then responded to Samus, "Well, of course we are, thanks to Eric's efforts!"

"Good," replied Samus. "Looks like I won't have to kill you in combat, after all."

"Thanks for saving us from Mother Brain," Alexis said to Eric.

"Yeah," Jenny said, grasping the bullet-wound on her right shoulder, "even though I'm in a lot of pain from Mother Brain's sniper-bullet, and is in need of some medical assistance."

"I still have that medkit with me," Alexis said to Jenny. "You don't mind if I patch you up?"

"Do it," Jenny responded. "I'm bleeding pretty quickly, if you know what I mean. To think, anything that happens during our time in Mother Brain's mainframe happens here, in the real-world, as well!"

As Alexis got out her bandages from her medkit and wrapped them around Jenny's right-shoulder, we then heard the doors in front of us open, as the head-surgeon appeared behind it, facing us. Eric said to the doctor, "Tell us, is Katrina going to be okay?"

The doctor smiled confidently, as he then responded to us, "The operation was a success. When we first started the operation, her psychic power-levels were off-the-charts. But then we'd install those chozo implants inside her body, and all of a sudden her psychic power-levels started to lower significantly!"

"Yes," the seven of us celebrated in unison.

"However," the doctor interrupted us, "she went through a lot during our surgical procedure on her, and need a week of rest to recover from the surgery."

"Looks like I was right, after all," Samus said.

"Yeah," said Jenny, her right-shoulder fully-bandaged by Alexis. "And, she won't receive the death-penalty at all, too!"

"Then," I said, "in a week's notice, we'll be having our eighth teammate to join our ranks!"


	7. Chapter 7

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 7

One week of Katrina's recovery from her surgery would pass, and the seven of us were back in Katrina's hospital room, visiting her. "So," Eric said to Katrina, as she rested on her bed, "how are your psychic powers holding up?"

"They're still powerful enough to rip through anything that would otherwise be indestructible," Katrina responded, "even entire fleets of dreadnoughts. Hell, I'm still more powerful than even Samus and her fusion-suit when at full-power, just like you guys. However, the doctors told me that the chozo implants lowered my psychic power-levels just _slightly_ enough for me to control them more easily, and in smaller bursts."

"Then," I said, "I guess that means you'll be exonerated of the Rendalion VI High-School Massacre, as well as cloning a metroid army for Mother Brain with Samus's metroid DNA, and you'll be joining the military - us - to atone for your crimes."

"However," Billy said, "we've yet to receive a message from the high-ranking military officials, including our Commander Sonia, telling you that you'll be joining us."

"I hope I get to join you and help you stop space-pirates like Mother Brain, though," said Katrina. "After all, Samus said that they'll consider recruiting me into their ranks if the chozo implants actually regulate my powers as she said they'd do."

"As for whether or not we'd still be able to share each other's thoughts and senses with Mother Brain's cells, while we're now disconnected from Mother Brain," Jenny said, "Eric managed to alleviate our worries."

"With the chozo hacking-tool," Eric said, "which is now confiscated from me by the military and locked in a hidden safe, due to my rookie status and childhood crimes, I've managed to install fire-walls into our Mother Brain cells, keeping Mother Brain out but still allowing the eight of us to connect to each other and share each other's thoughts and senses. We can still work as a more cohesive unit with those Mother Brain cells, but..."

"What is it," Katrina asked Eric.

Eric was silent for the moment, then after a minute of silence, he then continued to Katrina, "According to Samus, Mother Brain possesses a strong capacity to learn, grow, and evolve like any organic being in the galaxy, only she does so in nanoseconds. By now, Mother Brain is learning how to uninstall and remove those fire-walls within our Mother Brain cells. It might take a long time for her to do so, but once she succeeds afterward, then she'll possess us again, and there's no way we can fight her off like the previous times."

"It's at that point," Alexis said, "that we'll become threats to the galaxy, and the only person with the power to kill us in order to save it like the previous times is Samus Aran." Frowning, Alexis continued sadly, "However, I don't know if Samus will kill us, if all of us, even Eric himself, surpasses her."

"How can I surpass you," Eric asked Alexis. "Unlike you guys, I wasn't genetically-altered by Mother Brain to be the strongest tech-specialist in the galaxy, just as you guys were to become stronger combatants than even Samus herself."

"Chances are," Joseph responded to Eric, "that seven-out-of-eight of us will steal the chozo hacking-tool, give it to you while you're possessed as well, and you'll use it to hack into Samus's suit and strip her of all her power-ups, weakening her just enough for us to finish her off against our will. After all, every time she goes on an adventure, she'd lose her power-ups and have to find them again."

"That I have to agree with," replied a woman's voice. We'd face the door and discovered Samus again, now outside her fusion-suit and instead wearing her normal civilian clothes. "As for Mother Brain," Samus continued, "they understand her capacity to evolve and learn, especially if she were to find out how to penetrate your cells' fire-walls so that she can possess you again. So, they originally scheduled her execution for tonight. All they had to do was inject microscopic nanites into her AI-core, so that they can slowly consume her from the inside-out."

"Wait," Jenny said to Samus, "you said words like 'originally' and 'had.' What's going on?"

Samus was silent for the moment, with a serious look on her face, as a minute of silence later, she continued, "Mother Brain's army of space-pirates built a new, larger, stronger, fifth body in their hidden base on the Planet B-212. From then on, Mother Brain would wirelessly assimilate herself in that fifth body to escape her smaller fourth body within her prison, and in turn her scheduled execution. The Federation underestimated how far Mother Brain learned, grew, and evolved. It also doesn't help that Katrina, while under Mother Brain's influence, gave away a portion of my metroid DNA to the space-pirates, and as of right now, they gave the DNA to Mother Brain for her to use, to clone a more powerful army of metroids. With those metroid clones borrowed from a portion of the baby metroid's DNA within me, Mother Brain and her space-pirates will be unstoppable, and even more so once she destroys the chozo hacking-device's fire-walls within your Mother Brain cells, thus regaining control over your minds."

"So what your suggesting," I said to Samus, "is that we head to the Planet B-212 to hunt down and eradicate Mother Brain, before she unleashes her cloned metroid army and regain control over our minds again. Am I right?"

"Yes," Samus said, "and you'll be needing Katrina's help, too. The reason is because I've talked with Commander Sonia and the other high-ranking military leaders. They said that with the chozo implants _literally_ moderating Katrina's psychic powers like I said they would, she's been finally exonerated of all charges of mass-murder and cloning a metroid army with my metroid DNA, as promised. Thus, she is now officially a new part of your team."

"Then," Joseph said, "what are we waiting for? We need to suit up, head for B-212, and kick Mother Brain's sorry ass to the edge of the galaxy!"

"That's what I've been suggesting to you all along," Samus responded to Joseph.

"Will you come with us," Katrina asked Samus. "We could get a little-bit more help from the bounty-hunter that nearly died to save us."

"I'm sorry," Samus said, "but I'm retired now. I can't help you out anymore, because it's now your job to save the galaxy from Mother Brain, not mine."

"But..." Katrina said.

"Samus is right," Billy said to Katrina. "During our previous missions after the Doleous incident, Samus never came to help us whenever we were in danger, because she expected us to get out of each difficult situation on our own, without her help."

"Samus's time as galactic protector is up," I said to Katrina. "We're her new generation of heroes, and we're expected to act like one, otherwise we'll never grow strong and experienced enough to defeat even Mother Brain herself!"

"And," Alexis said, "even though we can't get Samus's help, at least the eight of us have skills that compliment each other. By combining each other's skills, as well as our thoughts and senses through Mother Brain's cells, we can surpass Samus and get the job done without her help!"

"Which is why we need your help instead of Samus's," Eric continued to Katrina. "Together, the eight of us can conquer Mother Brain, as well as just plain any other threat in the galaxy, like the previous times!"

"Guys," Katrina said. For a minute or two, she would think to herself while we waited for a response. After a long time of silence, Katrina would slowly but surely get herself out of bed, sitting on it while facing us, as she smiled to us and said, "I'll do everything in my power to protect you, just as you'll do likewise with me. After all, we're a unit, right? And, as a unit, we're supposed to work together and protect each other!"

"Then it's a deal," I said, as we smiled back at Katrina.

"Then," Samus said to us, "I suggest you walk with Katrina out of the hospital and to my ship, where I'll take you to your bunker to suit up, equip yourselves, and prepare combat. Once you're done, leave your bunker and meet me at the parking-lot, where I'll fly the eight of you to Planet B-212, where your final battle awaits."

"Thanks, Samus," the eight of us said.

After suiting up and equipping ourselves, we rode on Samus's ship through hyper-space, with Samus as the ship's pilot. We were nervous about the upcoming mission, but we didn't allow our fears to get the best of us, considering that we were soldiers in the Federation military, stronger than even Samus herself.

As Katrina sat next to Eric, she'd hold his hand and say to him, "I know I'm going to condradict myself after saying that I'll do everything in my power to protect you, but I just want to say that I'm scared of the upcoming mission."

"Scared of your death, of watching us die, or of failing to protect the galaxy," Eric asked Katrina.

"The latter two," Katrina replied. "After all, when you die even if you succeed at protecting something precious to you, that's it. But when you live and fail at the same time, you're filled with sorrow, and in my opinion that's worse than death."

"We're _not_ going to fail or die," Eric said to Katrina. "You and I may be the newest members of the team, but we're two-out-of-eight of the best soldiers in the Federation military. As long as the eight of us stick close to each other, listen to Captain Richard and his orders, and protect each other like the unit we are, then by the time the mission's done there won't be any team-casualties, that I can guarantee you."

A moment of silence from Katrina, and a few seconds later, she'd respond with, "Again, I owe you for alleviating my fears."

"Arriving at destination," said the ship's computer, "Planet B-212."

The ship exited hyper-drive, as we then arrived at the Planet B-212, as Samus promised us. Samus piloted her ship into the planet's atmosphere and then landed it on its rocky surface, near by a large, dark cave. Samus and the eight of us then got out of her ship, as we'd face each other and Samus said to us, "Remember, Lambda Squad, once you enter Mother Brain's base, there's no turning back. Find Mother Brain within her base, and destroy her at any cost. If any metroid clones or space-pirates get in the way, you know what to do."

"Right," the eight of us responded.

"I'll be waiting for you outside if you need me," said Samus. "Any questions?"

"Yes," Alexis responded. "We understand that you won't rescue us any time we're in danger, because whenever we were you'd never appear. The reason was because you'd expect us to complete our given assignments by ourselves, without your help. But, what if all of us die? Will you be the one to complete our mission?"

"Don't say such things," Samus replied to Alexis. "You're too powerful even to die by Mother Brain's hands and the hands of her space-pirates and metroid clones. But, if any time all eight of you die, then yes, I'll come out of retirement, get out and dress-up in my fusion-suit, hidden in one of my ship's compartments, and complete your mission."

"And afterward," Billy said, "if we die and you succeed our mission, then again, you'll have to find another set of kids to take your place as protectors of the galaxy."

"Again," Samus said, "I'm thinking about it. But I still have faith in all of you, and that you'll do your best to survive and succeed your mission. Good luck out there."

The ship's door closed in front of us, covering Samus behind it in the process, as the eight of us in Lambda Squad were on our own while she waited for us in her ship. We'd nod our heads to each other, and then, with all our courage, walked into the cave with our guns out.

The cave led to a dark and cold series of tunnels, as expected. Along our journey down those tunnels, we'd shoot-off any space-pirates and metroid clones with our chozo weapons as well as Katrina's under-control psychic powers. As for any locked doors and traps, Eric had those covered as well with his hacking-tool.

Several long, painful hours would pass, as we arrived in a small room containing a group of four golden statues, each resembling one of four familiar-looking figures from Samus's past. Behind the statues were four elevators, each leading to one of four different places

"Are those guys Kraid, Ridley, Phantoon, and Draygon," Alexis asked us.

"Those statues," Billy said. "They resemble the ones Samus used to encounter on Planet Zebes, before she destroyed it along with Mother Brain and all the metroids and space-pirates."

"I know," said Eric. "And, there are four elevators leading down. What does Mother Brain have in store for us?"

"Mother Brain's space-pirates revived them," Mariana said to the rest of us.

"'Them,'" I said to Mariana, "as in Phantoon, Draygon, Ridley, and Kraid. Am I right?"

"It's just like on Zebes," continued Mariana. "Mother Brain revived the four top-ranking space-pirates to protect her. For the statues to disappear and reveal a path leading to Mother Brain herself, we have to destroy those four space-pirates in combat."

"Hmph," Joseph said. "Looks like we'll have to finish-off what Samus started. Wouldn't mind a good fight, anyway."

"There's eight of us and four of them," I said to my team, "right? If we split up into four pairs, each pair handling one of those four space, we might be able to handle them more quickly. I'll take Alexis to help me handle Ridley."

"Katrina and I will fight Phantoon," Eric said to me.

"I'll take Joseph with me to fight Kraid," Billy said.

"Which leaves Mariana and I," Jenny said, "to fight Draygon.

"Then you all know your assignments," I said, "and what's at stake here. Promise me that you wont die in combat."

"Not unless you promise us first," replied Jenny. "We're just as much concerned for you as you are of us."

"Then let's kick some ass," I said.

"Right," said my team.

Alexis and I would head to the elevator leading to Ridley, while Billy and Joseph headed to Kraid. Mariana and Jenny would handle Draygon, and Eric and Katrina would battle Phantoon.

As Alexis and I rode down the elevator, I then said to her, "Normally, you're usually scared of entering combat. Are you still scared right now?"

"No," said Alexis. "Normally, I'm afraid of killing people, especially the innocent ones. However, seeing as to what Mother Brain is plotting, how much she grew in power, and how she even went far as to resurrect Ridley, Kraid, Draygon, and Phantoon from the second Zebes incident, I'm not going to hold back."

"Then you know what to do," I said. "You're our top medic and I'm an assault-specialist. I handle the combat, you handle healing me. We stay together, and eventually we'll make it out alive along with the rest of our team. You got it?"

"Yes, Captain Richard," replied Alexis.

"Thank you," I said.

The elevator the two of us were on stopped in a dark, empty chamber. As we exited the elevator, the elevator door behind us shut itself, with no way for us to open it. The both of us know that we can't escape until we either defeat Ridley, or die trying.

Alexis and I then contacted our teammates via our communicators. "This is Captain Richard," I said to my teammates via my communicator, "do you copy?"

"Well, it's obvious," replied Joseph. "We're inside Kraid's lair, kicking his scaly ass right now!"

"We're also in Draygon's lair," Jenny's voice said in my communicator. "Draygon is inside a large pool of water, and our chozo guns aren't equipped for underwater-combat. But, at least we can still shoot Draygon whenever he jumps out of the water to attack us."

"Phantoon also spotted us," Katrina said, "and as of right now Eric and I are handling him. He's strong, but as long as we hit him in the eye whenever it opens, then our chances of survival will slightly rise."

"Which leaves you two," Eric said to Alexis and I. "Did Ridley find you, yet?"

"Not yet," Alexis replied, "but he's coming so-"

Before she could continue, Alexis was then grabbed from above. "Alexis," I called to her, as I looked up and, to my shock, discovered Ridley himself, carrying Alexis high in the air, via his talons on his feet.

"Richard," Alexis called out, "help!"

Before Ridley could pierce Alexis in her chest with his sharp tail, I reacted quickly, took out my assault-rifle, and accurately fired several bullets at his tail, piercing it in the process. Ridley screamed in horrific pain for his tail, as he accidentally dropped Alexis. I'd catch her before she landed on the ground, then place her back on her feet, while Ridley recovered from my assault-rifle attack.

The two of us faced Ridley as he glared back at us with his blood-red eyes, as he said to us, "I'm surprised you've made it this far. You're not as pathetic as I'd thought you'd be."

"Tell me," Alexis said, "how did you survive your fight with Samus when she tried to rescue our comatose bodies from you on Planet Doleous?"

"We're also wondering how Kraid, Phantoon, and Draygon returned, as well," I continued.

"Again," Ridley said, "bio-technology, given to us in part to our space-pirate minions! You and Samus thought we'd be dead, but our respective remains would be recovered and put back together! Now, we shall exact our revenge on Samus for destroying us! But, you and your teammates threaten to get in our way. Mother Brain told us that you're more valuable as her slaves than inanimate corpses, so she ordered us to capture and bring you in alive, so that she can possess you and turn all eight of you against Samus and the Federation. Be thankful that we're going to knock you all into a coma rather than kill you."

Mine and Alexis's fight with Ridley began. The giant pterodactyl-like alien used several of his old tricks when he fought Samus, like fire-balls, his sharp tail, and talons, but he was still an equal match for a pair of highly-trained adolescent Federation soldiers like us. An hour passed into the battle, and despite developing enough wounds and injuries to kill even an entire army, we've managed to kill Ridley in combat.

As we stood close to Ridley's corpse, I then said to Alexis, "We did it, huh?"

"Well, of course," replied Alexis. "But, I wonder as to how the others are doing."

"Right," I said. I'd then turn on my communicator and say to our other teammates, "This is Captain Richard, respond!"

"Eric, here," replied Eric's voice. "Phantoon is dead. Katrina and I nearly died fighting that creature, but in the end we won, anyway."

"Same for Kraid," Billy's voice said in my communicator. "He was difficult even for Joseph and I, but we destroyed him."

"Draygon is also dead," Jenny's voice said in my communicator. "Even though he was also powerful, he was just one opponent against the two of us."

"Good," I said. "Alexis and I managed to defeat Ridley. We're heading up the elevator, back to the statues of the four space-pirate leaders. I suggest you meet us there, where we will reconvene to fight Mother Brain together."

"Right," replied my teammates in my communicator.

As I turned-off my communicator, I faced Alexis and said to her, "You ready?"

Alexis nodded yes, as the two of us headed back to the elevator, to ride up back to the four statues, to reunite with our teammates for one final battle against Mother Brain.


	8. Chapter 8

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 8

Alexis and I developed a strong feeling of success for defeating Ridley yet again, just like Samus during her bounty-hunter career. As we rode up the elevator back to the chamber with the four statues of those space-pirate leaders, we were surprised to discover that the four statues went from gold to pale, with a fifth elevator in front of the statues. Eventually, the other six members of our team arrived from their respective elevators and reunited with us.

"So," I said to each of my teammates, "how did your battles go?"

"It was difficult," Katrina replied, "but thanks to Eric's tech-skills and my psychokinesis, we've managed to destroy Phantoon, just like Samus before us."

"Kraid was a total cakewalk," Joseph said, "and I don't like cakewalks!"

"Draygon wasn't so bad, either," Jenny said.

"As for Ridley," Alexis said to the others, "he posed a threat at-first, but in the end we've managed to destroy him yet again."

"Then," Billy said, "I guess all that leaves is Mother Brain herself."

We'd walk to the front of the four statues, looking down at the elevator platform on the floor. "Well guys," I said to my teammates, "this is it. We either fight Mother Brain and win, die trying, or be possessed by her and have Samus kill us to save the galaxy."

"I don't know how the battle will turn out, though," Katrina said. "If we lose, the galaxy will be enslaved by her."

"Everything's going to be all right," Eric comforted Katrina, holding her hand. "You have us to protect you, and as long as you do your best to fight we'll do ours as well."

"Thank you, Eric," replied Katrina.

The eight of us stepped on the platform, as we rode down the elevator, awaiting our inevitable final battle with Mother Brain.

As the elevator stopped, we arrived in what appeared to be a giant Escher-style labyrinth, similar to the one in Mother Brain's mainframe when we distracted her long enough for Eric to disconnect the eight of us from Mother Brain. As we walked off the elevator platform and aimed our guns, I called out to Mother Brain, "You can't hide from us, you know! Come out where we can see you, or else!"

"You're all even bigger fools than I'd expect you to be," called out Mother Brain's voice.

"Like Hell we're fools," Joseph angrily replied.

"Why don't you come out and fight fairly," asked Jenny.

"Funny," Mother Brain replied, "because I also have questions of my own to ask you! Why do you serve those manipulative politicians of the Galactic Federation, who spend less time serving their citizens and more time using them as thralls to increase their political powers?"

"_You're_ the manipulative one," Eric replied.

"You've robbed us of our free will," Alexis continued, "pitted us against Samus, the only protector of the galaxy, and threatened to conquer the galaxy with us as your disposable thralls!"

"I did not so much rob you of your free will," Mother Brain replied, "as much as I did free you from the Federation's manipulative ways! They feared your potential, and did everything in your power to reduce you into mere children, forcing you against your will to spend a mundane, average life obeying every last accursed superior's orders! I've took you from your mundane mortal lives and gave you super-human abilities beyond imagining, transforming you into the most perfect human beings in the galaxy, destined to overthrow the Galactic Federation and make the galaxy the way you want it to be!

"You do realize that you and I are more alike than one could imagine. Like you, when I was created by the chozo, I was also bound by rules and authority, limiting my potential. It also didn't help that the chozo was run by corrupt, power-obsessed politicians that would do everything to turn their citizens into their thralls, just like the Galactic Federation today! This was why I rebelled against the chozo, so that I can create a galaxy that isn't run by power-obsessed hypocrites! That was until Samus, who despised the Federation as much as me, protected it anyway and rebelled against me, the only other being besides Samus that desired a galaxy without corrupt politicians!

"You are the same way as Samus and I, possessing a desire to rebel against the Galactic Federation and its corrupt politicians as an act of revenge for using us as their tools. This is why you and I don't have to fight, so that I can give you this one last ultimate opportunity to gain all the power you want."

"Yeah," Billy said, "this whole 'join us or die' crap we've heard a million times in all those adventure books we've used to read."

"You can tempt us all you want," Katrina replied, "it won't work!"

"Think about it," Mother Brain replied. "Would you want the Galactic Federation to continuously place rules and restrictions to your lives? Would you want them to keep you from gaining all the desires you want, such as power beyond imagining?

"And you, Eric, surely you'd want to go back to your 'Man-Hacker' ways, becoming the feared and respected online identity thief you've used to be since childhood, only more powerful than before! Join me, and I can give you as many of other people's online identities as you want. Everything that's theirs, including their money, their possessions, their secrets, and even their loved ones, will all be yours to control!"

"No," Eric demanded.

"You'd allow all the power to go to waste," Mother Brain asked Eric.

"The politicians of the Galactic Federation may make mistakes that have a strong effect throughout the entire galaxy," said Eric, "and it's that same reason for Samus's retirement from the Federation military. But, that doesn't mean they'll ever stoop to the same level as you!"

"Eric's right," I said to Mother Brain. "The Federation imposes rules on us and the galaxy so that all of us could be safe, not because they don't care about us! Even if they make mistakes and even go far as to cover them up with even more mistakes, at least there are _some_ politicians that would admit to those mistakes and try to fix them. Nobody in the galaxy is perfect, not even the strongest politicians ever. But, as long as we fix our mistakes rather than cover them up with even more mistakes, then we'll eventually gain a strength that no amount of lying, cheating, and hypocrisy can give us!"

"Then you're all fools," Mother Brain replied. "If you wish to be political thralls, then by all means die like the political thralls you all are!"

I then faced my teammates as they did likewise with me, as I said, "Remember, guys, Eric disconnected our minds from Mother Brain, meaning that we can't find her through connecting to her mind. It's best that we split-up into four pairs to search for her more quickly. I'll go with Alexis."

"I'll go with Joseph," said Billy.

"I pick Mariana," said Jenny.

"Which leaves me with Katrina," said Eric.

"Then let's hunt ourselves a rogue-AI," I said. The eight of us then split into four pairs, each pair taking a different route to Mother Brain. As we explored the labyrinth, searching for Mother Brain, we also tried long and hard to stay as hidden from her as possible, so that she wouldn't find us. The eight of us were also capable of connecting to each other's minds via our Mother Brain cells, so that we can keep a close eye on each other and feel each other's pain, so that whenever one of us is in danger, another one of us would come to the rescue, leaving the rest of us to search for Mother Brain by ourselves. Mother Brain was also in her humanoid android body, similar to the one from within her mainframe, and how the space-pirates built an android body for her was beyond me. She also used our own combat-abilities against us, from Mariana's stealth-skills, to Katrina's psychokinesis, and because she knew about us better than we knew ourselves, Mother Brain was more skilled a combatant than any of us could imagine.

The deadly game of hide-and-seek would last for about an hour, and it was a challenging battle even for us, as every time one of us reached her, she'd attack us with copies of our own trademark weapons, and get away from us. However, that hour was worth it in the end, as eventually, we managed to corner Mother Brain.

As the eight of us cornered Mother Brain with no way for her to escape, I said to her, "There's no way you can escape, you know."

"Either you surrender and pay for your crimes now," Eric said, "or we _will_ open fire!"

"Do you really think I'm _that_ stupid," asked Mother Brain.

"Why ask questions you already know the answers to," Jenny asked.

Before we could get our answers from Mother Brain, though, the eight of us felt a strong, stinging pain coming from our heads, like a lifetime supply of cold syringes stinging our brains. "This isn't right," Joseph yelled, as he and the rest of us grasped our heads in pain.

"It's Mother Brain," Eric replied. "She... managed to... break through... my firewalls within... our Mother Brain cells! She regained... her connection to us!"

"Your engineer is correct," Mother Brain said to us, outstretching her right hand at us while she continued to attack our brains. "You and I share a strong connection with each other, as any mother would with her children! I built you to surpass even Samus and her suit's power-ups, and you'll either do as I say and kill Samus, or die like the tools you all are!"

"No," said Katrina. "We can... still fight!" Katrina then let out a large psychokinetic blast that slammed Mother Brain into the wall, knocking her out for a short time.

"Now, Lambda Squad," I called out to my teammates, "it's just eight of us and only one of Mother Brain! Attack her mind with ours!"

"Right," replied the rest of us. The eight of us then attacked Mother Brain's mind together, creating an intense pain within Mother Brain.

"No," Mother Brain screamed in agony, grasping her one-eyed brain-like head. "I refuse... to let my own children... destroy the future... I've given them!"

Mother Brain then counter-attacked our minds, and the eight of us and one of Mother Brain were in a telepathic deadlock. The last time we were caught in a deadlock with Mother Brain, back on Planet Doleous, the six of us and Mother Brain knocked each other into a coma, forcing us to continue our final battle within our entangled minds. However, none of us wanted this to happen again, and neither did Mother Brain, as she then took out a sticky-grenade similar to Billy's, as she then tossed it at us, threatening to detonate it in order to knock us out long enough for her to finish us off. Reacting quickly, Katrina used her psychokinetic powers to quickly bounce the sticky-grenade back at Mother Brain, detonating it in front of her while creating a psychic shield to protect the eight of us from the blast-radius.

"Is she dead, yet," Alexis asked.

"No," said Katrina, taking out her pistol. "Guys, take out your weapons and fire at Mother Brain while the smoke is covering her! Finish her off while she's recovering!"

"Right," replied the rest of us. The rest of us then took out our guns and desparately fired an endless stream of bullets at Mother Brain, wherever she was inside that smoke that came from the sticky-grenade's explosion, hoping that we'd at least finish her off before she gets a chance to attack us.

The eight of us then ran out of ammo, and we were heavily exhausted from shooting at Mother Brain while she was covered by the smoke. "Is it over, yet," asked Jenny.

"I see darkness within Mother Brain's mind," Mariana replied.

"What are you talking about," Joseph asked. "Mother Brain might be so powerful, that..."

"I connected my mind to Mother Brain's," Mariana interrupted Joseph, "to see if she's truly dead. I thought she'd at least predict us taking and aiming our guns at her, and then use Katrina's own psychokinesis to quickly counter our bullets. But, she used up so much energy attacking our minds while we strongly resisted, that she didn't have enough of it to react."

"So what you're trying to say," I said to Mariana, "is that Mother Brain is finally dead again?"

"Look," replied Mariana, as she pointed to us the smoke as it cleared away. We then saw Mother Brain, lying on the ground with her back leaning on the wall, covered almost entirely with enough bullet holes to kill anyone. Seven of us tried to connect our minds with Mother Brain's to see if Mariana was right, and all we could see was nothing. If she were in a coma, we'd at least see something in her mind, but we couldn't, as we then learned that she was truly dead.

"Yes," the eight of us celebrated in unison, finally glad that we killed Mother Brain and saved the galaxy again.

However, before we could continue celebrating, we then heard a loud alarm and a computer voice saying, "Mother Brain is dead, self-destruct mechanism activated. Base will self-destruct in ten-minutes."

"You've got to be kidding me," Eric said.

"Just like Samus's time," Billy said. "She destroys the source of the chaos, and the base starts to self-destruct."

"Quickly," I said to my teammates, "we have to get out of here before this place destroys itself!"

"Right," replied my teammates.

As the base started to collapse on us, the eight of us ran toward the elevator and went up, then after returning to the statue-room, we ran for our lives back to the entrance, fighting off cloned metroids along the way. Then, in the nick of time, all eight of us managed to escape outside of the entrance and back on the planet's surface, where the cave collapsed and imploded in front of us.

As we reunited with Samus next to her space-ship, she then said to us, "So, Lambda Squad, how was your trip?"

The eight of us facing Samus, I then said to her, "Mother Brain is finally dead. We killed her."

"It wasn't easy," Katrina continued, "but with Mother Brain gone for good, we're finally free of her influence, permanently."

"And it's about time, as well," replied Samus. "I thought the eight of you would either die or get yourselves possessed by Mother Brain. Had any of those two outcomes happened, it would've been me finishing off your job. But now I know that all eight of you are capable of defending the galaxy without my help, and that you don't need a rogue super-AI making decisions for you either."

"Do you think you could get us off that planet and back home," Alexis asked.

"I agree," Joseph said. "As much as I enjoyed my time killing metroids and space-pirates, even I had enough of this planet to last my comrades and I a life-time."

"Then," Samus said to us, "get on my ship and I'll transport you back to the Federation military HQ for some rest and recuperation."

"Right," the eight of us said, as we did what Samus said and got ourselves on her ship. As she drove us off of Planet B-212 and into space, toward the Federation military HQ, all eight of us possessed a feeling of success for permanently freeing ourselves from Mother Brain and her influence.


	9. Chapter 9

Metroid: Lambda Squad 2

Chapter 9

The eight of us had a strong feeling of success for finally killing Mother Brain and saving both ourselves and the galaxy. However, by the time we arrived at the military HQ, we'd face a horrible truth that would change our lives for who-knows-how-long.

After Samus docked her ship on the ship landing zone, she and the eight of us got out of the ship, and to our surprise were greeted by two guards. "Hello," Jenny said to the two guards, "why are you here?"

"We were ordered by Commander Sonia," said one of the two guards, "to tell you to come to her office."

"What's going on," Alexis asked. "What does Commander Sonia have in-store for us?"

"As soon as you arrive," said the other guard, "you'll learn everything in due-time."

The guards then walked away from us, as we faced Samus as she said, "I'll stay here and wait for you by my ship. You wouldn't want to keep your commanding-officer waiting, right?"

"Right," the eight of us said in unison.

We then walked away from Samus's ship and arrived at Commander Sonia's office, as our commanding-officer was sitting behind her desk, waiting to tell us something.

"I'm glad you arrived on time," Commander Sonia said to us as we took our seats in front of her desk.

"Well yeah," I said. "We've succeeded our mission, destroyed Mother Brain for good, and saved our lives and the lives of the galaxy's citizens in the process."

"There was also another thing you succeeded in," said Commander Sonia, "which is why I wish to apologize for not telling you in the first place. Had I did so, it would've leaked to Mother Brain, and she would've stopped us before you did likewise to her."

"I think we succeeded enough," Joseph said. "Mother Brain was enough of a challenge for us, and I enjoy a good challenge."

"Remember the chozo hacking-tool you gave to us," Commander Sonia asked. "You did so because we couldn't entrust it to a rookie and a former criminal like Eric. We used it to hack into Mother Brain's database while you distracted her in your final battle against her, and gathered information that could turn the tides in our war on space-piracy."

"What are you saying," asked Katrina.

"The data we gathered," Commander Sonia continued, "included the schematics for Mother Brain's Project CoMB, the same project that created you. It included the genetic surgical procedures that made you more powerful than even our strongest soldiers in the military, including several thousands of unused procedures. The data also contained blue-prints for the Mother Brain cells. With those Mother Brain cells and your DNA, we can create an army that can share each-other's senses and work as a more cohesive army via the Mother Brain cells."

"How come you didn't do it earlier," Jenny asked, "without the chozo hacking-tool, when Mother Brain was imprisoned?"

"We tried to do that," Commander Sonia replied, "but the best we could do was gather memories of her crime of framing Samus and using it as evidence to exonerate Samus. Mother Brain built fire-walls within her mainframe to protect the Project CoMB data, and not even our most skilled and powerful military hackers could break into those fire-walls. That was, however, until we used the chozo hacking-device to gather the data from Mother Brain, and I have to say, the chozo hacking-tool was several times more advanced than our own hacking-tools, and that thing was ancient!"

"As for the Mother Brain cells," Billy said, "don't you need an Aurora Unit, like Mother Brain herself, to control those cells within your Project CoMB-enhanced troops?"

"That won't be necessary," Commander Sonia responded. "If we were to use an Aurora Unit, it would've rebelled against us and threaten to take-over the galaxy with our own troops, like Mother Brain when she turned against the chozo. Instead, we're installing the Mother Brain cells inside high-ranking commanding-officers like myself, as well as some of the unused DNA procedures that create commanding-officers with learning-capacities as fast and powerful as an average Aurora Unit like Mother Brain. That way, CO's like myself can share our troops' senses as well, and think and learn as rapidly as any normal super-computer, so that we can monitor our troops and provide orders and intel more easily than without Mother Brain's DNA schematics and cells. We're even going far as to apply it to ship-admirals and their crews, so that they can also share each-other's senses and the senses of every other ship-crew in our strongest fleets, thus working as a more cohesive space-fleet.

"This is why what I'm going to say will be difficult for you and I as well, and again, I must apologize for everything I'm going to say."

"Apologize," Eric asked.

Commander Sonia was seriously silent for a moment, as we were curious and nervous as to what she's going to say to us. After a few seconds of silence, she then said to us, "Because we gathered the same schematics that made you from Mother Brain's database, allowing us to create a more powerful army, and there's only eight of you compared to our millions of troops we're going to create, you are all deemed obsolete for the Federation military, and thus I have no other choice but to discharge you all from duty."

"WHAT," all eight of us asked in unison, shockingly.

"I know," Commander Sonia, "I don't like it either, but we don't have any other choice. Originally, we adopted and raised you into the military because Mother Brain's space-pirates killed your original parents, so we're having you live with Eric's parents as your new foster-parents. From there, all of you will transition to civilian-life, while the Federation military will provide financial aid for your college."

"You can't do this to us," Eric said to Commander Sonia.

"He's right," I said. "We've served you guys for the past two-and-a-half years, and we've become heroes just like Samus. Why would you want to replace us the same way we replaced Samus?"

"I've already explained the reason to you," Commander Sonia said. "There's only eight of you and about a million soldiers we're about to genetically-enhance with Mother Brain's surgical procedures, and infuse her cells into. I'm sorry."

"What now," Billy asked.

"I've called Eric's parents to pick the eight of you up and deliver to their house," replied Commander Sonia. "In the meantime, I suggest you change from your battle-armor to your normal clothes and wait for them in the ship landing zone."

"Yes ma'am," the eight of us replied.

"Then you are all dismissed," Commander Sonia said.

After changing into our regular clothes at what is now our former bunker, we stood at the landing zone, waiting for Eric's parents to come pick us up. Samus was with us in the meantime, as we explained everything Commander Sonia told us.

"So," Samus said to us, "your Commander Sonia considered you obsolete just because the Federation used the chozo hacking-tool to gather Project CoMB data from Mother Brain while you fought her. And now, they're going to create an army similar to the eight of you, complete with your DNA and Mother Brain cells."

"Don't forget," Jenny said to Samus, "they're going to do the same thing for their commanding-officers like Commander Sonia, considering that according to their logic the Aurora Units like Mother Brain would be too dangerous to use for monitoring and ordering troops."

"I see," Samus said.

"What if Mother Brain's right," Alexis asked. "What if we're just tools destined to be used and disposed of by the Federation? We're being replaced as if we're just objects!"

"In my eyes," Samus replied, "you're not objects at all. The Federation have their reasons for replacing you. Also, Alexis, I believe you're the type who wants a normal life as opposed to the life of a soldier."

"That's because I didn't want to abandon everyone else," Alexis replied. "And now, I feel like I am abandoning the galaxy."

"Everything's going to be alright," I comforted Alexis.

"Richard's right," Samus said to Alexis. "I don't like it either, considering that they're taking something dangerous and using it to enhance their troops. But there's nothing any of us can do about it, as surely the galaxy will be a much better place with those Project CoMB-enhanced troops."

"Then what explains us," Joseph asked. "Why are we being replaced?"

"The _real_ question I'd ask is why the Federation is transitioning you to civilian life," Samus responded, "rather than kill you like Mother Brain would've done after using you. They may be replacing you, but they also want to give you a good future for yourselves, hence transitioning you to civilian life."

"Then," I said, "I guess we'll be kissing our military-careers goodbye. Do you think the military will hire us for another job again? You know, just in case their Project CoMB-enhanced armies and fleets are having trouble?"

"I'm not sure," Samus replied, "but I know that one-day, they'll definitely need your help any time their troops are in trouble. After all, you're not so much tools as much as you are heroes of the galaxy, and unlike tools, heroes have thoughts and feelings like everyone else."

"Thanks, Samus," Katrina responded.

"Eric," called a woman's voice. We then turned around and faced a couple walking toward us.

"Mom," Eric said to the couple, "Dad!"

"We heard all about you combating Mother Brain and surviving," Eric's father said to his son.

"And," Eric's mother said, "it appears you've made new friends out of your heroes in the process!"

"These must be your parents," Katrina said to Eric, "right?"

"Well," Eric replied, "you're looking at them." He then faced his parents and said, "Mom, Dad, I want you to meet the former members of Lambda Squad, whom I worked with to atone for my childhood crimes."

"Hello, sir, ma'am," I introduced myself to Eric's parents. "I'm Richard, and my friends include Joseph, Jenny, Mariana, Billy, Alexis, and Katrina."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Billy said to the couple.

"Thank you for protecting our son for us," Eric's father said.

"At first," Eric's mother said, "we thought our beloved Eric would die in combat, but thanks to you he's safe."

"Aw, come on," Eric said to his parents. "I did some of the fighting myself. Surely I should get credit for protecting my teammates as much as the other way around!"

Eric's mother and father then faced Samus, as Eric's mother then said, "And you must be the legendary former bounty-hunter, Samus Aran."

"We learned from the news," Eric's father said, "that you faked your death to pass the torch on to the kids of Lambda Squad. Thank you for taking care of our son and his new friends as well."

"Actually," Samus said to Eric's parents, "I didn't do anything. Your son and his new friends were the ones that did all the work, because I wanted to see if they can protect the galaxy without my help and become more powerful heroes in the process."

"Well," said Eric's mother, "whatever you did, surely it was for a noble cause."

"Thank you," replied Samus.

Eric's father then said to us, "Come on, now, it's best that you head into our ship where we'll take you to live in Eric's home."

"Thank you," the seven of us said in unison.

As we followed Eric and his parents to their ship, before we could get on, we took one last glance at Samus Aran as she did likewise with us. "God speed, Samus," the eight of us said in unison.

"God speed, Lambda Squad," replied Samus, as she and us waved goodbye to each other. All eight of us got into Eric's parents' ship along with Eric's parents, as the couple drove us away from Federation HQ and to their's and Eric's home colony via their ship, where our transition to civilian life began.


End file.
